Omsk SAU launched a Carbon Proving Ground

On July 28, Omsk State Agrarian University representatives hosted a solemn opening ceremony in A.D. Kizyurin Garden timed to coincide with the traditional agro-industrial complex exhibition "Agro-Omsk 2021".

In February 2021, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education launched a program for the development of carbon proving grounds in a number of Russian regions. Omsk State Agrarian University has been working on the assessment of ecological footprints and the calculation of carbon tariffs for two years. In 2020, thanks to the effective work of the project team, the first carbon proving ground in the Kaluga Region began to experiment with a new wheatgrass variety "Sova" created by Omsk SAU scientists. For almost a year, together with Skolkovo experts, we have worked out concrete steps to open a carbon proving ground on the basis of our university.

The carbon proving ground is an object of huge scientific and technological importance. It ensures a fundamentally new approach to the relations between the university and business. The carbon proving ground a territory with a unique ecosystem used for monitoring and controlling environmental processes, creating digital doubles and reference sites, and conducting various scientific research. The project covers not only scientific, but also educational aspects. The University will adjust its educational process by introducing new courses and modules for students studying ecology, biology, agronomy and agrochemistry.

The opening ceremony of the carbon landfill of the Omsk State Agrarian University was attended by the Rector of Omsk State Agrarian University Oksana Viktorovna Shumakova, Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Omsk Region Nikolay Valentinovich Drofa, Head of the Department of Industrial Sciences and Analytical Work of the Ministry of Industry of the Omsk Region Elena Andreevna Kardakova, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Omsk Region Alexander Viktorovich Serdyukov, Deputy Minister of Education of the Omsk Region Elena Anatolyevna Korchagina, Director of Omsk Agrarian Scientific Center Maxim Sergeevich Chekusov, Director of the Omsk regional branch of the Rosselkhoznadzor Lev Nikolayevich Yaneev, General Director of OOO Yastro Maxim Nikolaevich Pletyuk, General Director of Omsk Experimental Plant Dmitry Alexandrovich Golovanov, Head of the Rosselkhoznadzor Administration for the Omsk Region Oleg Nikolaevich Podkorytov.

Oksana Shumakova addressed the audience with the welcoming speech, noting that the opening of the carbon proving ground is a significant event that will take the scientific, innovative and educational activities of the university to a fundamentally new level.

Nikolai Drofa congratulated the participants and underlined the importance of opening the carbon proving ground for the environmental and economic agenda of the region. Minister expressed his gratitude to the university:

"The second carbon proving ground in Russia is located in the Omsk Region. Thanks to initiative Omsk SAU team, it became possible. The research conducted on the proving ground will demonstrate if the agricultural products produced in Siberia are clean enough in terms of ecology.

The creation of the carbon proving ground is a right and timely step, and in 2022-2023, new environmental requirements will be imposed to regulate the quality of agricultural products. This will allow us to keep pace with the trends and be leaders in this field."

After the opening ceremony was over, the participants moved to a digital situation room of the proving ground. Omsk SAU Vice-rector for Economics and Informatization Vitaliy Mikhailovich Pomogaev spoke about the global warming and the need to create carbon proving grounds, as they positively affect regions there they're located. Then, there was a teleconference with Ivan Ivanovich Vasenev, Professor at the Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, and Ricardo Valentini, who is a Professor of Tuscia University (Italy). Our colleagues once again stressed the importance of the global environmental agenda.

After that, the participants moved to field experimental sites, where Omsk SAU staff members and students showed them how the information is being collected at the proving ground.

Natalia Viktorovna Goman, Dean of the Faculty of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Ecology, Environmental Engineering and Water Use, spoke about the peculiarities of creating trial plots, the technologies used and the data obtained, their processing and the technologies used. Olga Vladimirovna Nezhevlyak, Head of the Department of Ecology, Natural Resource Management and Biology, spoke about sensors used to collect information and devices that allow recording changes in greenhouse gases. Associate Professor of the Department of Agrochemistry and Soil Science Marat Rakhimberdyevich Shayakhmetov told about the methods and technologies of decoding images, and using flying drones for environmental monitoring.

Professor of the Department of Agronomy, Breeding and Seed Production Vladimir Petrovich Shamanin introduced the guests to the peculiarities of growing an analog of the perennial wheat - gray wheatgrass "Sova" and its carbon absorption capacity.

In the final part of the meeting, it was time to sign cooperation agreements. Rosselkhozbank, represented by Lev Nikolayevich Yaneev, signed the cooperation agreement on developing the infrastructural and technical potential of the Omsk SAU Carbon Proving Ground. After that, Omsk SAU Rector and General Director of OOO Yastro Maxim Nikolaevich Pletyuk signed a cooperation agreement to create and develop a carbon farm.