Biologists from St. Petersburg State University (SPbU) have assisted the Ilebts community and indigenous peoples in establishing agriculture in permafrost conditions. In 2001, the Ilebts community, representing indigenous peoples, decided to engage in gardening with support from SPbU biologists.
University staff and Arctic Research Center researchers took soil samples in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, developing recommendations for growing crops. For two years, community representative Mikhail Okotetto achieved a sustainable vegetable harvest in the far north, cultivating potatoes and radishes in open fields.
The community also uses greenhouses to grow various crops, doubling garden sizes compared to 2022. Professor Evgeny Abakumov highlighted the unique features of agriculture in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, emphasizing the importance of proper planting and fertilization. SPbU scientists noted the ongoing experiment's continuation, with plans to expand both garden areas and cultivated crops in the far north.
Source: spbu.ru