Challenges for the sustainable use of water and land resources under a changing climate and increasing salinization in the Jizzakh irrigation zone of Uzbekistan

Jizzakh Province in Uzbekistan is one of the largest irrigated areas in Central Asia without natural drainage.In combination with aridity,climate change and extensive irrigation practices,this has led to the widespread salinization of agricultural land.The aim of this study was to identify opportunities to improve the reclamation status of the irrigated area and how best to effectively use the water resources in Jizzakh Province based on investigations conducted between 1995 and 2016.A database of field measurements of groundwater levels,mineralization and soil salinity conducted by the provincial Hydro-Geological Reclamation Expeditions was used in the study.The total groundwater mineralization was determined using a portable electric conductometer(Progress 1T)and the chloride concentration was determined using the Mohr method.The soil salinity analyses were conducted by applying two different methods:(1)the extraction and assessment of the soluble salt content,and(2)using an SM-138 conductivity sensor applied to a 1:1 mixture of soil sample and water.The analyses of the monitoring results and the salt balance in the"irrigation water–soil–drainage water"system clearly demonstrated that the condition of the irrigated land in the province was not significantly improved.Under these conditions,the stability of crop yields is achieved mainly through the use of large volumes of fertilizer.However,excess amounts of mineral fertilizers can also cause the salinization of soils.The average groundwater salinization value in most of the irrigated land(75.3%)fluctuated between 1.1 and 5.0 g/L,while the values were less than 1.0 g/L in 13.1%of the land and in the range of 5.1–10.0 g/L in 10.5%of the land.During the period of 1995–2016 the salinization level of the irrigated land in Jizzakh Province increased slightly and the area could be divided into the following classes:no salinity(17.7%of the total area),low salinity(51.3%),moderate salinity(29.0%),and high salinity(2.0%).Detailed studies of the salt balance in irrigated land,the impact of climate change,increased fertilizer use,and repeated remediation leaching on the groundwater level and mineralization should be conducted in the future,due to the possibility of accelerated salinization,fertility decline,and reduced yields of agricultural crops.     

乌兹别克斯坦林业发展现状

乌兹别克斯坦是新丝绸之路经济带上的重要国度, 了解乌兹别克斯坦林业发展动态对于加快中乌林业合作、推动中国林业可持续发展有着重要意义。文中介绍乌兹别克斯坦森林资源、林业法规政策、林业机构、森林经营、林产品生产贸易和林业科研教育等现状, 在此基础上总结乌兹别克斯坦林业发展的主要特点和问题, 展望中国与乌兹别克斯坦林业合作的良好前景。     

乌兹别克斯坦表层土壤元素含量与空间结构特征初步分析

基于经典统计学和地统计学方法对乌兹别克斯坦表层土壤元素的组成和空间特征进行了研究。首先对土壤元素含量平均值、变异系数等特征进行了计算,比较了土壤元素含量特征。乌兹别克斯坦表层土壤Ca、Na、Mg等化学活动性元素的含量以及Co、Be、K、Zn等元素的含量偏高,而Al、Fe等其余元素含量相较于世界土壤中值偏低,变异系数也较小。元素含量的聚类分析表明,Ca、Sr、Mg、Na等化学活动性元素和Al、Fe等其他元素的特征差异较大。在此基础上,运用Gs+软件对乌兹别克斯坦土壤表层元素含量的空间异质性进行了分析。结果表明:土壤中Al、Fe、Be、K、Ti等元素具有强烈的空间自相关性;Cu、Pb、Zn、P等元素的空间结构显然已受到一些施肥、污灌、工农业生产等小尺度因素的影响,但整体上还没有达到破坏其原有空间格局的程度。化学活动性元素Ca和Sr除受土壤母质的影响外,还受到一定程度的局部随机因素的影响,在抽样尺度下没有空间相关性。另外,采用瑞典科学家Hakanson潜在生态危害系数法对土壤中重金属元素的潜在生态危害性进行了初步评价,乌兹别克斯坦土壤表层元素重金属Cu、Cr、Zn、Pb的潜在生态危害程度均为轻微,其中Zn和Cu危害程度最高,这与当地的社会经济发展状况一致。     

An agronomic, economic and behavioral analysis of N application to cotton and wheat in post-Soviet Uzbekistan

Cotton and winter wheat play a vital role in Uzbek agriculture: the first crop is a vital component of the national export revenues, while the latter is key in achieving independence from grain imports. Due to these strategic roles in the national economy, both crops are part of the state procurement system and, hence, are subject to strict regulations imposed to ensure budget revenues and self-sufficiency. However, many factors cause the divergence of crop yields from their technically maximum levels. We analyzed those factors, which hamper achieving the optimum response to fertilizer applications. In a stepwise procedure, we (i) reviewed the technical and financial optimum yield responses of cotton and winter wheat production to fertilizer applications and (ii) analyzed the changes of fertilizer-to-product price ratios to shed light on the agronomic and economic performance of cotton and wheat in the post-Soviet agricultural system of Uzbekistan. The analysis combined data from long-term, historical yield and fertilizer responses, agronomic N-fertilizer response experiments, and socio-economic farm surveys. Quadratic yield-response functions were used to derive economic and technical optimum rates of N-fertilizer applications. Based on the parameterized function and fertilizer-to-product price ratios observed for 1996-2003, we analyzed the difference between recommended fertilization and economic optimum application rates. Results showed that under the state procurement system, Uzbek farmers may not necessarily tend to maximize the profits from their cotton and wheat production. The level of subsidies and the differential crop support by the state induce farmers to follow the official fertilizer recommendations to ensure that they fulfill the production targets even if it implies higher production costs. The present gaps between the officially recorded yields and those technically achievable given the agro-ecological conditions in Uzbekistan cannot be narrowed by only improving N-fertilizer management. It would require additional efforts to improve cotton and wheat yields.     

The dynamics of groundwater table and salinity over 17 years in Khorezm

Salinization of irrigated agricultural land threatens ecological sustainability and livelihoods of people. Salinization is especially severe in the dry lowlands world-wide and in Central Asia where large amounts of salts accumulated in the soil profile, originating from shallow saline groundwater (GW). Analysis of the unique dataset of 2000 monitoring wells of GW table and salinity in lowland Khorezm region of Uzbekistan over the period of 1990 till 2006 showed shallow GW levels of 1.1-1.4 m (±0.48-0.66 m) at start of leaching periods and 0.9-1.4 (±0.43-0.63 m) in July during the annual growing seasons. While leaching efficiency is decreased, shallow GW in July is far above the optimum levels of 1.4-1.5 m. The effects of topography, soil texture, and irrigation and drainage networks were found to favor shallow GW forced by excessive water diversion. The drainage network, which is seen by many specialists as underdeveloped and its improvement necessary to arrest unacceptable GW levels, is being used under its full capacity. The solution to alleviate land degradation is not only an improved drainage, but better controlled and more flexible water management.     

乌兹别克斯坦棉花产业现状分析

通过实地考察、咨询相关专家学者及查阅大量资料,对乌兹别克斯坦棉花产业发展状况、主要种植管理技术、科研现状及发展棉花产业的其他配套技术进行了论述,认为乌兹别克斯坦自然生态条件总体良好,除水资源有限外,棉区其他生态环境较新疆优越,且生产潜力较大;该国棉花种植管理粗放,植棉技术较为落后,其棉花单产、总产及综合品质均明显不及新疆棉区;该国轧花和棉纺设备陈旧、工艺落后、生产效率低,导致目前国内纺织品市场仍由进口产品主导;虽然该国农业科研机构较完善,但存在现有科研工作滑坡甚至处于"半瘫痪"状态的问题。其在棉区生态环境治理,棉花种质资源的搜集、整理与利用,病虫害防治以及土壤改良等方面的经验值得我国借鉴与学习。分析认为乌兹别克斯坦是植棉大国,但不是强国,该国除应尽快在政策层面做出调整外,得到我国的支持,特别是汲取新疆棉花种植管理、籽棉加工、棉纺产业等成功经验,是助其走向棉业强国一条非常可行的捷径。     

Legume Production and Irrigation Strategies in the Aral Sea Basin: Yield,Yield Components,Water Relations and Crop Development of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek)

With world population expected to reach 9.2 billion people by 2050, improved irrigation methods will be needed to increase the productivity of agricultural land and improve food supply worldwide. The objective of this work was to examine the effect of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and alternate furrow irrigation (AFI) on the yield and yield components of two legume species (common bean and mungbean) produced as a second crop following winter wheat in Uzbekistan, Central Asia. Water relations and crop development were also examined. The research was conducted during two successive growing seasons in the Fergana valley. Production of mungbean using the severe stress RDI treatment in combination with AFI resulted in the highest yields with the lowest quantity of applied water in 2004. In addition, yields of common bean in the moderate stress treatment were not different from the recommended schedule, although irrigation events were decreased from 4 to 2. AFI did not reduce yields, and it did not interact with RDI to reduce yields further. In general, mungbean yields were higher than those of common bean. The combination of AFI and RDI can allow legume production with reduced water inputs.     

陆地棉同源致死突变基因的遗传分析

试验发现一个新的突变基因 L et.dw,在显性状态下具有致死作用 ,可以独立遗传 ,不受其它基因 ,如纤维色彩基因 (Br Li)、种子短毛基因 (I,Ft2 ,Ft3 )以及纤维基因 (L i A,L i D) ,等的控制。     

Expedition to the south-western Hissar Mountains (Southern Uzbekistan) for collecting plant genetic resources in 1995

A joint exploring mission has been carried out by staff members of the Institute of Botany of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences, Takent and the Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, Gatersleben, in July/August 1995 to study plant genetic resources in a remote mountainous area of south-western Hissar, Uzbekistan. Subsistence farmers of the Tupalang basin are still growing a great number of landraces and local varieties, which could be investigated for the first time in that area. In total 238 accessions, mainly of cereals, vegetables, pulses, spices and medicinal plants, were collected. Of special interest has been indigenous material of wheat, barley, turnip, chickpea, pea, lentil, small-seeded linseed as well as some wild spices and medicinal plants.     

A critical review of the concept of equity to support water allocation at various scales in the Amu Darya basin

Even though ‘equity’ appears to be the major objective on all water management levels, the concept as such and its implication for water management are hardly explored within the professional water debate. Utilizing different arguments from the public sector, management and psychology debates, it is argued that the concept of equity is often undefined and usually ambiguous. The paper goes on to explore aspects of ‘equity’ of water allocation between the different riparian states in the Amu Darya basin and between the different upstream and downstream provinces in Uzbekistan and districts within the Khorezm Province of Uzbekistan.