The Turkmen agricultural institute summarised the results of the III International online competition of scientific projects «Agroinnovation: the path to sustainable development», held among students of higher educational institutions in Turkmenistan and abroad from the 11th to 12th of November.
Over the course of two days, talented students from Turkmenistan, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Romania, Moldova, and Tajikistan presented their research projects and engineering developments to the jury at the competition venue.
The competition has become a vibrant international arena for presenting exciting scientific developments, demonstrating the creative potential of the younger generation, and exchanging innovative ideas and experiences in the field of agricultural science.
In total, approximately 280 promising projects from 94 universities in Turkmenistan and abroad were submitted for consideration by the expert jury of the competition.
The projects were evaluated in three main categories: «Agricultural projects», «IT projects», and «Business projects». The analysis and evaluation of the works was carried out taking into account six main criteria: Relevance; Novelty; Meaningfulness; Scale; Feasibility; Impact on the environment. Based on the results of the competition, the authors of the best works were awarded I, II and III places in each nomination and were presented with diplomas of the corresponding degrees.
In the «Agricultural projects» category, participants won 49 prizes: 9 first, 13 second, and 27 third.
Students from the Turkmen state university named after Magtymguly, the Turkmen agricultural university named after S.A. Nyyazov, as well as universities in Russia, Uzbekistan, Romania, and China took first place.
Noted work includes research on the use of bacteriophages to fight with infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the introduction of blueberries, the development of treatment methods for cow mastitis, and sustainable agricultural development. Particular attention was drawn to projects by participants from Turkmenistan dedicated to the use of phosphorus fertilizers and the improvement of silk processing technologies.
In the «IT-projects» category, 53 prize places were awarded: 9 first, 16 second, and 28 third.
First place went to project authors from the Turkmen agricultural institute, the Institute of the MIA of Turkmenistan, the International university for humanities and development, as well as authors of the best works from Moldova, Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.
Among the most interesting developments are satellite-based water loss monitoring systems, intelligent automatic irrigation systems using machine learning, low-cost scanners for precision farming, and the «Bereketli Ädim» and «StudBel» digital platforms.
In the «Business projects» category, 39 prizes were awarded: 8 first, 13 second, and 18 third.
The top eight winners included students from the Turkmen state institute of economics and management, the Turkmen agricultural institute, the Engineering and technology university of Turkmenistan named after Oguz han, as well as students from universities in Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.
In this nomination, developments with practical and commercial potential received high marks. These include an improved aquaponic system, composite materials based on industrial waste, biological protection for tomatoes, an antibacterial spray based on cinnamon, innovative solutions for the mechanisation of potato harvesting, water purification technologies, and a digital platform for resource sharing.
It should be noted that a significant number of works for the competition were submitted by students and young researchers from universities in Turkmenistan, which indicates a growing interest among young people in scientific research, the development of innovative solutions, and the practical application of modern technologies in various sectors of the economy.
Overall, results of the competition clearly demonstrated that the youth of today strive not only to master cutting-edge scientific and technological advances but also to propose their own solutions to pressing issues related to the rational use of natural resources, digitalisation, improving agricultural production efficiency, and ensuring sustainable development.
The III International online scientific project competition confirmed the importance of such initiatives for strengthening international scientific and educational cooperation, expanding professional contacts, and developing the innovative potential of the younger generation.
As the organisers noted, the Turkmen agricultural institute intends to continue supporting this area of activity, creating new opportunities for the implementation of scientific ideas and promising projects by young researchers.
