The main causes of low soil fertility in Karakalpakstan are soil salinity and low content of humus. However, annually for crop receiving, the farmers are still striving for struggling not with their causes but with their consequences. Thus, for decreasing salinity they got accustomed to cleanse the soil with huge amounts of water which at the end of the day leads to increase of the ground water level, evaporation of which leads to the repeated salinization. Instead of enriching the soil with organic fertilizers, they prefer using of the mineral ones.
As a result of such actions, and also of annual intensive cultivation, the content of organic matter in the soil is decreasing year after year. The organic matter of the soil is the source of life energy for soil organisms, which play an important role in the processes of soil formation. It is known that in the well-cultured soil the total weight of life organisms reaches 10 tones per 1 ha and their main part are microorganisms. Therefore, in Karakalpakstan agriculture firstly it is necessary to enrich the soil with organic matter and thereby to improve biological processes in the soil, i.e. to promote auto-regeneration of the soil features.
The existing methods of soil cultivation do not stimulate enrichment of the soil with organic matter as annual tillage promotes rapid assimilation of humus by the plants and its removal with the yield, instead of it, manure is introduced into the soil but in a very small amount, and the plant residues are removed or burned so that they would be obstacles for arable units. But it would be much better to use the plant residues as organic fertilizer. According to the data of Lykov A.M., 1 ton of straw generates 170-180 kg of humus, while 1 ton of manure generates only 75 kg of humus.
In order to change the situation, we decided to introduce the system of Zero tillage of the soil in Karakalpakstan. Of course, it is very hard and it is almost impossible to get instant results. But during one of the meetings with the residents of Jayhun village in Kanlykol district, in the framework of UNDP–GEF project “Conservation of riparian woodlands and the improvement of the systems of protected territories in the mouth of Amudarya River in Karakalpakstan” I told them about new system of Zero tillage of the soil and about its advantages and disadvantages. The debates were started at once but after explaining the principles and giving examples, the farmers hardly agreed to test it on a small plot of land. That is how the idea of creating a plot for demonstration of Zero tillage appeared,where all the conducted operations will be shown.
People tend not to believe until they see the working process and results with their own eyes. Together with Olga Shegay, who is PR specialist of the riparian project, we started preparation of the project application to the GEF SGP. Owing to her efforts and the help of GEF SGP team in drawing up a project application, we got a grant. The funds of this grant were spent on the necessary equipment for the work: a seeding machine SA 11500 «Vence Tudo» for zero sowing and laser leveler. The project team expresses special thanks to the GEF SGP Procurement Assistant - Jamshid Maksumov.
In June 2010 we invited Oybek Egamberdiev, a consultant of NGO KRASS, to the project area where he held a training seminar on laser leveling of fields for the farmers from Jayhun village. Then he taught 2 local residents how to use the new equipment.
From the beginning of the project good relationship was set with Tolimbay Ibragimov, a Head of Kanlykol region. He always supports our project. Thus, in August 2010 a seminar for the farmers and other agricultural workers of this region was held, which was devoted to the beginning of the sowing season for winter wheat. We were also invited to the seminar and I demonstrated our new equipment and told them about benefits of Zero tillage. N. Bakirov, a Representative of Cabinet Council of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Representatives of the Ministry of agricultural and water farming of Uzbekistan, Jokargi Kenes and Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan spoke at this seminar. They all passed an opinion that these new technologies should be supported.
Before starting Zero tillage, a field should be prepared carefully: a deep ripping, ploughing, harrowing, parceling and a capital leveling of the field with a help of laser leveler. However, during the sowing season arable units and tractors are in high demand and therefore, we managed to plant winter wheat, triticale and pea only by 21st of October. Luckily, the weather was warm in autumn for a long time and we got good and even sprouts.
On the farmers’ field day I explained them: “If you prepare fields in this way in your first year, from the next year you will be able to sow without ploughing and your expenditures for POL, work and time will be decreased”. I also demonstrated there sowing of winter wheat on one of the fields emptied after the rice, right along the straw and stubble. This caused interest of the farmers who could not fulfill their plan for sowing the winter wheat because of the lack in POL and machinery. They asked again: “Are you serious? Will there be any sprouts with such sowing?”. I answered: “Yes, I’m sure. There is no any doubt”. And next day the Head of the region triggered Zero tillage of winter wheat by stubbling-in on the rice fields. Thereby, we managed to sow 24 ha using stubbling-in Zero cultivation. Many farmers of Kanlykol district witnessed low-cost cultivation of winter wheat.
Then, with a help of tugai project we held seminars on the topic “System of the soil Zero tillage” in Amudarya and Kanlykol discticts. As a result, a few people wished to test Zero and minimal tillage on their areas.
Several years ago one of the farmers showed me an edge of the cotton field that was not accessible for tractor moving. Accidentally several cotton seeds were dropped there. The cotton grown there was higher and better developed than on the repeatedly cultivated part of the field. The farmer said: “You are right in many things while propagating Zero tillage. This little edge part of the field was never cultivated but look, what a big cotton has grown there!!!” Such unnoticeable examples prove that Zero tillage is possible even in our conditions but time is needed for making farmers sure of that.
Opinions which were in people’s consciousness for centuries are hard to change but gradually through showing positive examples we can eventually reach a wide use of Zero tillage in the region as the most steady (both ecologically and economically) method of maintaining agriculture.
B. Aibergenov, project manager
