KUNMING/TASHKENT, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Home to hundreds of Allium species, the Kunming Center of the China-Uzbekistan Global Allium Garden stands as a model of Sino-Uzbek cooperation in advancing global biodiversity conservation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
A cooperation project of the Kunming Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, the garden is the world's first specialized garden dedicated to the collection, conservation and exhibition of Allium species.
Over the past years, the garden has added centers in Kunming, capital of China's Yunnan Province, and Tashkent, the Uzbek capital, gathering more than 300 Allium species and emerging as a key hub for global Allium diversity.
BEYOND SEASONINGS
Many Allium species are edible, with some, such as onions and garlic, having a long history of cultivation and being widely enjoyed as vegetables or seasonings for their agreeable flavor.
In addition, Allium species offer substantial scientific value for studying plant evolution, crop origins and climate adaptation.
At present, there are over 1,000 Allium species worldwide, which are mainly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, with the Mediterranean and Central Asia serving as their richest havens.
According to the Kunming Institute of Botany, statistics from the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species showed that 7 percent of plant species in Central Asia are threatened, accounting for 32.1 percent of the region's endemic species. Limited funding and research capacity have hindered efforts to conserve plant diversity.
At the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, China pledged 1.5 billion yuan (about 210 million U.S. dollars) to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund to support biodiversity protection in developing countries.
China is home to 138 Allium species, 50 of which are unique to the country, while Uzbekistan is also an important origin of Allium. The two countries bring their unique strengths to their cooperation in protecting Allium diversity.
Focused on the protection of Allium species, the Global Allium Garden serves as a practical example of building international consensus, implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and demonstrating ways to address climate change and species loss.
FRUITFUL ACHIEVEMENTS
Since its opening in April 2018, the Kunming Center has collected and preserved over 200 Allium species.
Wang Xinrui, an engineer at the Kunming Institute of Botany, said that researchers have not only introduced species from many places across China but also continuously expanded the resource bank through exchanges with international germplasm resource banks and seed applications.
Since breaking ground in May 2018, the Tashkent Center has grown to house over 180 Allium species, establishing itself as a crucial base for Allium conservation and research in Central Asia. In addition to conducting scientific research, the center regularly organizes public education activities to help people in the country learn more about plant diversity.
Calling the two centers a testament to the scientific cooperation and friendship between China and Uzbekistan, Komiljon Tojibaev, an academician at the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, said: "Protecting biodiversity requires the joint efforts of scientists from various countries. Scientific cooperation unites us."
A joint survey team of scientists from both countries has conducted over 10 large-scale investigations and specimen collection activities on Allium species and local plant diversity, gathering over 10,000 plant specimens and thousands of germplasm resources.
As cooperation deepens, the garden is translating its research achievements into practical applications. Three drought-resistant Allium varieties have been successfully planted in arid regions of Uzbekistan, resulting in a 20 percent increase in yield per acre compared to traditional local varieties.
"Scientific research ultimately serves society. We aim to discover more climate-resilient varieties through in-depth Allium studies and cultivate new crops that deliver higher yields and stronger disease resistance," said Wang. Enditem
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