The annual All-Russian Festival NAUKA 0+ is being held in the Novosibirsk Region from November 13 to 22, 2024. This is one of the key events of the Decade of Science and Technology in Russia.
SFSCA RAS has become one of the venues of the festival, and at the opening ceremony the Deputy Chief Operating Officer Konstantin Kirichenko made a welcoming speech, the scientist congratulated the children on participation in an interesting scientific event. Konstantin Yurievich emphasized the importance of science for society and urged all participants to actively participate in the discussions and events that will help to broaden their horizons and inspire them to further research. At the end of his speech, the head wished all the participants successful work and unforgettable impressions from the acquaintance with the world of science.
One of the venues of the festival “NAUKA 0+” was the laboratory of biological control of phytophages and phytopathogens of the SFSCA RAS. During the excursion the children got acquainted with the life cycles of insects, learned who the phytophages and entomophages are, and how insects can be used in plant protection. As always, relict cockroaches made an impression, the cockroaches of Archimandrita tesselata species were a special success. The children were very interested in the world of insects. Scientist Kirill Maximovich conducted an open class on the topic: “Beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) – biological indicators of ecological sustainability of agrarian ecosystems”.
Within the framework of the open session, during the lecture and practical part, the students got acquainted with such terms as “ecosystem”, “agroecosystem”, “bioindicators”, “biomonitoring”, “beetles” etc. They learned that intensification of farming can have harmful ecological consequences, which can be prevented by monitoring of ecological indicators sensitive to environmental changes. During the lecture, the children learned that intensification of farming can have harmful environmental consequences, which can be prevented by monitoring environmental indicators sensitive to environmental changes. The students were told how biologists and ecologists conduct monitoring works on agricultural lands and what biological indicators exist. During the practical part of the lesson, schoolchildren got acquainted with such a taxonomic group as beetles, and also learned the features of their biology, ecology and why they are convenient bioindicators. With the help of a binocular microscope and a collection of species, the children clearly saw how representatives of the Carabidae family, most widespread in the agro-ecosystems of the Novosibirsk Region, look like.
A lecture on the use of bioindicators was the outcome of the lesson, the children were told about the mechanisms of assessing the ecological state of anthropogenically disturbed areas, as well as about creating a prerequisite for the development of ecologically directed measures for environmental protection.
Vera Riksen made a presentation on the profession of agrochemist to the schoolchildren. During the meeting, the scientist spoke in detail about the main objects of study of agrochemists: soil, cultivated plants and fertilizers. The students learned how this knowledge helps to increase crop yields and preserve the health of the ecosystems. The demonstration of laboratory equipment aroused special interest. The children were able to see in action the devices used by agrochemists and even participate in simple but spectacular experiments. The meeting was held in the format of live communication, which allowed students to ask questions and immerse themselves in the world of science.
At the lecture given by Ludmila Garafutdinova, the children learned about different types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their application in agriculture. The children were shown how UAVs are used to monitor crops, assess the condition of plants and detect diseases. The lecture discussed the benefits of using drones, such as reducing time and resource costs, increasing the accuracy of agronomic surveys and the ability to obtain real-time information. The lecture covered a wide range of topical issues related to the use of drones in modern agriculture and encouraged the students to think about the future of agronomy and technology.