Botany and agrometeorology

The department was founded in 1946 as a complex department of agricultural botany and meteorology, headed by Prof. K. Kiryakov. In 1963 it was separated as the Department of Agricultural Botany, headed by Prof. Stoyan Dimitrov. Prof. Dimitar Delipavlov (since 1948), Prof. Ivan Kovachev (since 1958), Prof. Maria Popova (since 1959), Prof. Dimitar Terziiski (since 1961), Prof. Iliya Cheshmedzhiev (since 1963), Assoc. Dimo Gramatikov (since 1962), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Georgi Stoychev (from 1982 to 2005), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kunka Kozhuharova (since 1984). and from Agrometeorology Prof. Dragan Draganov (since 1960), Prof. Maria Gyurova (since 1954), In 2006 the department was again merged with the Department of Agrometeorology.

The department works in two specialized areas. 

The section of Botany has two microscopic classrooms (halls 316a, 316b), one seminar (9) and a cytology laboratory. In the process of renovation and creation of a digital classroom is 316 a hall, which is equipped with new microscopes with cameras and tablets, as well as a digital monitor-wall for. The compulsory subjects are "Botany" (general course), "Anatomy and morphology of plants", "Systematics of plants", "Cytology, histology and embryology of plants" and " Seed Biology ". The department also studies the elective courses "Mushroom Growing", "Medicinal Plants", "Applied Dendrology", "Honey Plants", "Flora of Bulgaria" and "Phytocenology".

Here is the second largest herbarium (abbreviated SOA), which is a member of the International Plant Taxonomy Association. The herbarium preserves at least 160,000 specimens of Bulgarian and world flora and mycota, and is a valuable source of taxonomic and chorological information in the botanical research (more information about SOA - at www.botanica.gallery).

The Agrometeorology Department has the material base for conducting practical exercises and scientific developments (hall 317), provided with modern computer configurations for work in the Internet environment. 

The Agrometeorological Observatory has been built at the department. It is located on the experimental field at the University of Plovdiv. It consists of two sectors - meteorological and agrometeorological. In the meteorological sector the main meteorological elements are reported according to a standard methodology approved by WMO and NIMH - BAS. The organization of observations and maintenance of the devices is carried out with the assistance of NIMH - National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology at BAS, which provide observers in the climate station. The received and processed information is provided and used in the national weather and meteorological network of the Republic of Bulgaria, as a basis for meteorological information and the compilation of national forecasts for weather, climate and natural phenomena. In the agrometeorological sector, observations are made on the phenological development of major crops and soil moisture is measured in parallel. The observations are carried out in cooperation with NIMH - BAS Plovdiv branch. 

The department has a network of automatic meteorological stations in order to organize modern agrometeorological services to agriculture for the needs of different sectors. 

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