The World Foliage Plant Industry - Acta Horticulturae

Dr. Aimak Dzhangaliev - wild apple
authority in Kazakhstan.
cated apples, from Soviet breeding programs in
Russia or Kazakhstan, from Europe, or other
countries. During the 1970s and 1980s there
were more than 100,000 ha of tree fruits produced
in Kazakhstan, predominately apples.
Yields were approximately 4-5 tonnes (t)/ha.
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 had a
negative effect on tree fruit growing in
Kazakhstan. Suddenly there was an oversupply
of fruit and a lack of organization and care of
orchards. The move from a centralized economy
to a market-driven economy resulted in the
abandonment of many orchards. Poor quality
fruit is still gleaned from these unkempt
orchards and marketed at bazaars. Lack of
knowledge of orchard production practices
including pruning techniques, unavailability of
suitable chemicals for pest control, and the
breakdown of irrigation schemes have resulted
in reduced yield (1-2 tonnes/ha) on remaining
orchard lands (estimated at 63,000 ha).
Kazakhstan is striving to develop an orchard
industry based upon private production and
ownership of orchards, but it will take some
time to find the proper balance. Both the
amount of fruit consumed, and knowledge
assistance to the growers, must be increased.
Currently, annual tree fruit consumption (12-15
kg/person) is below the amount considered
healthful (76 kg/person). We also know that
improved fruit quality will increase consumption
and that growers must be educated on production
practices and new cultivars and rootstocks.
The Kazakhstan Ministry of Agriculture and
Ministry of Education and Science are providing
assistance in fruit research and education, and a
non-government organization “Central Asia
Harvest Project” is providing “extension” type
education to a limited number of growers in the
most southeastern area of the country. A new
United Nations Project in Central Asia, through
the International Plant Genetic Resources
Institute, seeks to advance biodiversity conservation
and fruit grower education. In addition,
scientists of the Agricultural Research Service of
the United States Department of Agriculture
are involved with local scientists on germplasm
preservation of local cultivars. Contacts with
scientists from Southern Illinois University,
Colorado State University, and Ohio State
University in the United States are also serving
to increase fruit production knowledge in
Kazakhstan.
Research efforts are underway to intensify tree
fruit production in Kazakhstan focusing on high
density orchards of dwarf trees. We calculate
optimum orchard size to be 5-7 ha with an
upper range of 20 ha. Optimally such farms
would be widely located in the south and
southwest of Kazakhstan, where climate is best
for fruit growing and where fresh fruit can
quickly be available to the population centers.
We expect this region can support at least 500
fruit production farms.
At the present time, small farm technologies
need to be developed for tree fruit production
adapted to local climate and current economic
condition. Important keys are cold resistance of
flower buds, compact tree growth form,
orchard precocity, improved cultivars, and inexpensive
orchard establishment. Improved cultivars
are needed for orchards at the base of the
mountains and also for terraced orchards on
the mountain slopes. These sites are in different
ecological zones and will either require cultivars
with different adaptabilities or wide adaptability.
New cultivars need to have disease resistance
to reduce chemical inputs required. To
encourage high density orchards we need to
have inexpensive trees and are working on propagation
technologies to reduce tree cost. As
amount of rainfall is limiting in fruit production,
and old Soviet irrigation systems are in disrepair,
Tissue culture laboratory and technician at
Talgar Pomological Garden.
drip irrigation technology is being investigated.
Apple rootstocks, their ease of propagation,
and their performance at base or mountains
sites are under evaluation. Arm-18, B-7-35,
B16-20, and 62-396 are rootstocks of current
interest having dwarfing traits and ease of propagation.
As important as development of our commercial
tree fruit industry is, we also highly value
the conservation of our wild genetic tree fruit
resources. Recent government legislation has
eliminated commercial orchards at high elevation
(above 1200 m) and the wild germplasm
will be protected in these areas. Malus sieversii
is currently in the Kazakhstan Red Book of
endangered species due to cross-pollination
and genetic decline with commercial apples,
and due to its status as a relic species. A new
UN project will specifically target reforestation
Fruit industry in Kazakhstan: (A) dried apples used for tea; (B) bulk boxes used for harvesting;
(C) nursery production of chip-budded trees; (D) precocious cultivars bearing fruit in the
nursery; (E) cherry cultivars under test; (F) plum cultivars under test.
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