The Central Botanical Garden offers consumers the biotechnologies for the juvenilization of old‑growth woody plants to quickly obtain vegetative planting material of highly ornamental plants that are resistant to urban environments under a commercial agreement with technical assistance and/or a license agreement, and is looking for partners to conclude a technical cooperation agreement.

Biotechnologies for the juvenilization of old‑age woody plants represent an advanced scientific field that makes it possible to overcome the barrier of age‑related senescence of tree tissues and return them to a “young” (juvenile) state for subsequent successful vegetative propagation in vitro. The main essence of the method lies in the fact that the tissues of century‑old trees, which have lost the ability to form roots and grow actively, are returned to the juvenile phase using special hormonal treatments and repeated passaging (transplanting) on selective nutrient media in the laboratory.

For the Republic of Belarus, this technology is of strategic importance, linking together the tasks of preserving historical and cultural heritage, adapting cities to climate change, and import substitution in the field of green construction.

The essence of biotechnology and the mechanisms of juvenilization.

Old‑growth trees have a unique genotype: they have already proven their resilience, having withstood decades (sometimes centuries) of droughts, frosts, diseases, and anthropogenic pressure. However, they cannot be propagated by conventional cuttings due to profound age-related changes (epigenetic inhibition, accumulation of growth inhibitors, and tissue sclerosis).
The biotechnological process solves this problem in stages:
1. Selection of explants: Viable meristematic material is isolated from dormant buds, shoots of renewal ("water shoots") or the root zone of a century-old tree.
2. Rejuvenation (juvenilization): By introducing into a sterile culture in vitro and exposure to a specific balance of phytohormones (cytokinins and auxins), tissues "reset" the genetic markers of old age.
3. Clonal micropropagation: Cells that have renewed their potential begin to divide actively, allowing them to produce tens of thousands of identical healthy seedlings per year from a single explant.
4. Rhizogenesis and adaptation: “Juvenile” microcuttings easily form a root system (rhizogenesis) and are transferred from test tubes to adapted substrates in greenhouses.

Importance and relevance for Belarus.
1. Preservation of the unique gene pool and historical parks.
2. Creation of a sustainable urban environment in the context of climate change.
3. High ornamental value of urban landscaping
4. Speed of production and phytosanitary purity of the material
5. Import substitution and economic benefits

Technologies of clonal micropropagation of unique stable highly decorative old-age tree and shrub species from the plantations of the Central Botanical Garden have been created
NAS of Belarus, ancient park and manor complexes of the Republic of Belarus.
Promising (the most resilient and ornamental) taxa of woody and shrubby species have been identified; the coordinates of their growing locations have been determined; measurements of taxonomic, geographical, and morphological characteristics of 39 samples of old‑growth trees have been taken; propagation plots have been established using traditional methods.
In vitro culture supports samples of unique tree species (black poplar (Populus nigra L.), catalpa bignonioides (Catalpa bignonioides Walter), black mulberry (Morus nigra L.)) and shrub species (Amur lilac (Syringa amurensis Rupr.), park rose (Rosa sp.), bladdernut (Colutea sp.)). The obtained cultures form the basis for clonal micropropagation, which enables the rapid production of planting material for highly ornamental plants that are resistant to the conditions of an urban environment.

The information is published in the Catalogue “Advanced Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus” 2024, pp. 212–213.

The technologies of clonal micropropagation of mature woody and shrubby plants have no analogues among domestic developments and are on par with the best foreign counterparts..
The developed technologies increase the efficiency of propagating stable clones adapted to the natural and climatic conditions of the Republic of Belarus, contribute to the long‑term preservation of elite genotypes, and also provide a biotechnological basis for the preservation of other species of old‑growth trees and shrubs.

Field of application of the development.
Forestry and ornamental horticulture, natural resource management and environmental protection.

The Central Botanical Garden carried out R&D work entitled “To develop methods for preserving and propagating unique species and forms of old‑growth tree and shrub plantations in the northwestern region of Belarus, and to create a geographic information system (GIS) for documenting botanical objects.”
The results were used in the development of technologies.

The Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is the country’s leading and largest center for the conservation of plant biodiversity. It serves as a premier scientific institution specializing in plant introduction, acclimatization, physiology, molecular biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, and ecology. Research and practical efforts in the field of plant introduction have resulted in the creation of a gene pool comprising over 15,000 varieties of ornamental and economically useful introduced plants.

In accordance with its Charter, the primary objective of the Central Botanical Garden is to conduct scientific research in areas including plant introduction, botany, physiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, ecology, landscape architecture, and phytodesign. It also focuses on the sustainable use and conservation of plant resources, as well as the preservation of the gene pool of the world’s flora.

The Central Botanical Garden is one of the oldest botanical institutions in Belarus. In 1999, by a decision of the Government of the Republic of Belarus, it was granted the status of a scientific site of national heritage. It is designated as a botanical natural monument of national significance and a site of historical and cultural value. Today, it stands as a unique landscape and garden site, serving both as a major landmark in the capital and as a vital center for cultural enrichment, environmental awareness, and education.

Key areas of scientific and technical activity include:
- The effective use, renewal, and conservation of plant resources;
- The identification of physiological and biochemical patterns and mechanisms that determine plant resilience and productivity;
- The development of scientific foundations for plant introduction, protection, and breeding, as well as the management of acclimatization processes and the biological productivity of economically useful plants—utilizing both traditional methods and modern techniques in biotechnology and genetic engineering. - biological monitoring, ecology;
- industrial botany;
- landscape gardening and phytodesign;
- utilization of plant resources in industry, agriculture, and medicine;
- addressing biosafety issues related to biological methods and technologies.

Key areas of focus for the Central Botanical Garden (CBG):
- developing scientific foundations and practical measures for the effective, sustainable use of plant resources within the nation’s economy and social sphere, as well as for the conservation of the gene pool of rare and endangered species and the habitats of the Belarusian flora.
- creating new, competitive varieties of ornamental, medicinal, aromatic, and bioenergy plants, along with original landscape design concepts for various settings, including interior spaces.
- developing efficient methods for the accelerated production of planting stock via *in vitro* culture, as well as techniques for identifying and protecting against bacterial and viral infections to ensure the production of disease-free (healthy) planting material.
- researching the genetic diversity of plants and plant communities, their habitats, and ecosystems, while addressing questions of systematics and taxonomy through both traditional and molecular-genetic approaches.

Official website of the Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.

Consumers interested in purchasing biotechnology for the juvenilization of old‑growth woody plants to quickly obtain vegetative planting material of highly ornamental plants that are resistant to urban environment conditions under a commercial agreement with technical assistanceand/or a license agreement.

Partners interested in developing and implementing biotechnology for the juvenilization of old‑growth woody plants to quickly obtain vegetative planting material of highly ornamental plants that are resistant to urban environment conditions under a technical cooperation agreement.