BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 13
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
Farmers of the Bukhara region in Uzbekistan were provided with the latest equipment worth $35,000 in order to ensure efficient use of land and water resources, increase crop yields, as well as manage dry and saline agricultural lands, Trend reports citing uzdaily.uz.
The farmers of the Bukhara region were provided with the latest equipment with a total cost of more than $35,000 within the framework of the project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on "Integrated management of natural resources in drought-prone and saline agricultural landscapes of Central Asia and Turkey".
Specialists of the FAO Representative Office in Uzbekistan demonstrated in practice the principles of the new equipment. Also, a presentation was made of laser soil leveling methods as a measure to improve irrigation processes and crop rotations, suitable for soil conservation and resource conservation agriculture (CA).
It is expected that at the end of the project, improved water and soil management practices will be fully implemented in the work of farmers in the Bukhara region, and a program to disseminate information on these methods will be prepared for further large-scale implementation of conservation agriculture.
CA is one of the most promising modern methods for dealing with drought problems, based on three principles:
- minimal disturbance of the soil, the normal condition, and productivity of which is the basis of each approach;
- permanent soil cover with plant residues or live (green) crops to reduce water loss, reduce erosion and protect soil from harsh extreme climatic conditions;
- diversification of agricultural crops (crop rotation).
CA also has economic benefits for farmers, such as immediate cost savings immediately after the introduction of CA technologies by reducing agronomic activities. This fact is a significant advantage for poor farmers during a period of high growth in prices for fuels and lubricants. Saving fuel and lubricants also helps to improve the carbon balance from land use.
Laser leveling is a process in which the ground is leveled using laser-equipped dragline buckets to create a continuous 0-0.2 percent grade. This technique requires tractors and scrapers equipped with global positioning systems (GPS) and laser-guided instruments. The soil is moved by either cutting or filling to create the required slope/level.
Improved water availability can reduce water costs up to 30 percent and plant populations up to 40 percent, which will save time for weeding from 21 to 5 workdays per hectare.
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