Comparison of practices

Use of water resources

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources

Country: Kyrgyzstan

Province: Chuy Region

District: Sokuluk District

Country: Tajikistan

Province: Districts of Republican Subordination

District: Rudaki

Other settlement: Khosilot Farm

The site is located in a semi-drought zone subject to acute shortage of water resources in summer period and land degradation

• Ground water occurrence below 5 meters;
• Typical gray soil, surface slope – 0.04.

Start date: 01.01.2011

End date: 31.12.2011

Start date: 01.01.2013

End date: 31.12.2015

Extremely low water availability (supply) of pastures; the quantity of cattle in watering sites below standard; land erosion

Low efficiency of furrow irrigation; deficit of irrigation water; poor alfaalfa yields; eroded soil; low income of farmers.

Technology of springs arrangement for stock watering

Sprinkling irrigation system for alfaalfa

Actions:

At first, the exact location of water outcrop was identified and cleaned from mud.  15 meters below the outcrop, 3 interconnected water tubs were installed (each 1.8 m long, 0.5 m wide and 0.5 deep).  Each subsequent tub is located lower than the preceding one, thus, allowing water flowing down in the cascade manner.

Results:

Financial and economic:

Cattle gaining weight quicker.

Technical:

Improved water supply in the area, including for cattle watering.

Actions:

• Project design and budgeting, procurement of sprinkling nozzles;
• Installation of sprinkling irrigation system, alfaalfa planting and cultivation, crop care.

Results:

Financial and economic:

increased farmer incomes due to better alfaalfa hay yields; enhanced labor productivity; reduced production costs.

Ecological:

improved ecological and reclamation condition of irrigated land; production of ecologically clean goods; significantly reduced unproductive water losses and soil erosion.

Technical:

increased alfaalfa hay yields (29 t/ha) compared to furrow irrigation (on average 18 t/ha); 40% saving of irrigation water.

Social:

increased wellbeing of local residents due to better agricultural yields; reduced hard manual labor.

Lessons learnt:

Collection of water in one place had been practiced since ancient times, but was forgotten over time.  Rehabilitation of traditional practices should be welcomed.

Recommendations:

Similar practices should be scaled-up and continued as they not only benefit the local population, but also allow enhancing water availability for wild animals and expanding hayfield meadows.

Lessons learnt:

Deployment of sprinkling irrigation systems allows increasing alfaalfa productivity and water saving as well enhancing soil reclamation condition and structure, watering efficiency, etc.

Recommendations:

It is necessary to widely introduce sprinkling irrigation to enhance the efficiency of water and land resources, reduce manual labor costs and save irrigation water.

Traditional tools transferred from generation to generation which demonstrate their relevance in modern conditions

Domestic tools (outcomes of research by domestic R&D organizations)

1. Cost of implementation: High

2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha:

3. O&M costs: High

4. Expert support: Not needed

1. Cost of implementation: High

2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha: $3,000/ha

3. O&M costs: High

4. Expert support: Needed at implementation stage

Project title: Sprinkling irrigation of alfaalfa in the conditions of Central Tajikistan.

Project duration: 2013-2015.

Project goal and objectives: deployment of sprinkling irrigation for alfaalfa; observance of optimal irrigation mode(s) and techniques ensuring 30 t/ha alfaalfa hay yield with minimal energy consumption in the conditions of Central Tajikistan.

Project beneficiaries: farmers of Khosilot Farm.

Project implementer: GU “TajikNIIGiM”.

WOCAT.net, Mr. Abdybek Asanaliyev (e-mail: asanaly61@mail.ru), Kyrgyz National Agriculture University, Bishkek

Research report by GU “TajikNIIGiM”, Dushanbe, 2015, 24 p.

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC