The fodder shrub Aellenia Subaphylla (C.A. Mey) aellen is a promising plant for productivity of degraded pasture ecosystems restoration in the Central Asian deserts

The aim of this work is studying the peculiarities of growth and development of wild populations of Aellenia subaphylla (C.A. Mey) Aellen in culture conditions for using in order to fodder productivity of degraded pastures restoration in the of Central Asian deserts. Aellenia subaphylla (C.A. Mey) Aellen is a shrubby halophytic plant, 80-150 cm tall. It is characterized as a valuable high–protein fodder plant – it contains 25% and more protein. It is readily eaten by sheep in autumn and winter, by camels throughout the year, it goes well in mixed crops with Haloxylon aphyllium (Minkw.) Iljin, Salsola orientalis S.G. Gmel. and Kochia prostrata (L.) Schrad. Aellenia subaphylla (C.A. Mey) Aellen is low-leafed, not demanding of soils, grows on sandy, clayey, gravelly-saline soils and salt marshes. It is characterized by high drought resistance, the transpiration intensity in the conditions of the Karnabchul desert in May is 536 mg/h per 1 g of wet weight, in June – 407.3 mg/h per 1 g of wet weight. This means that the plant consistently and economically consumes moisture for evaporation during the growing season, with normal tissue hydration (water content 82.3-75.9%). High resistance to soil and air drought, soil salinization determines the economical consumption of moisture for transpiration and its effective use, ensuring the formation of relatively large yields per unit area. In the xerothermal conditions of the Karnabchul desert, 3.2 t/ha of dry fodder mass forms. Unlike other shrubs, the Aellenia subaphylla (C.A. Mey) Aellen forms a record high seed production: in the first year of life – 310 kg/ha, in the third – 798 kg/ha of seeds. The obtained scientific results give reason to consider it as a promising plant for use in restoring the fodder productivity of degraded pasture ecosystems in the Central Asian desert.