Comparison of practices

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources

• Use of water resources
• Use of land resources

Country: Kazakhstan

Province: Almaty region

District: Alakol District

Other settlement: Yntaly Rural District (320 km away from Taldykorgan (region center))

Country: Uzbekistan

Province: Tashkent Region

District: Parkent District

Other settlement: Baikazan Farm

Foothill area

Steep foothill terrain

Start date: 01.01.2008

End date: 31.12.2010

Start date: 01.01.2006

End date: 31.12.2006

After disintegration of large agricultural enterprises (state farms), the maintenance of inter- and intra-farm irrigation systems – that were earlier on the balance of state farms – appeared to exceed the technical capacity of small-scale private and owner-operated farms.  Due to this reason, in the majority of agricultural districts the tray irrigation networks got out of order.  The wear of the lion’s share of hydraulic engineering facilities in Alakol District reached nearly 70% leading to water losses associated with crops watering – the analysis showed that 40% of water was lost to filtration and evaporation.  In its turn, that resulted in ineffective and irrational use of water resources and contraction of irrigated land area.  For example, whereas in 2003 water intake for irrigation amounted to 195 mln m³, in 2009 it decreased to 114.8 mln m³ (41.1% drop).

Issue: Low efficiency of irrigation water due to wear of hydraulic engineering facilities/installations (tray irrigation system).

Issues: loss of water in temporary water distributers, low plot use ratio, difficulties with regulating water supply to irrigation furrows, low irrigator labor productivity

Drip irrigation in combination with soil mulching with polyethylene film

Portable polyethylene trays (PPL-50) of semi-circular section

Drip irrigation combined with filming has been widely adopted around the world in vegetable and cucurbits cultivation.  Thanks to long moisture preservation and proper thermal balance achieved under film, deployment of this technology allows reducing the overall need for irrigation water and receiving earlier and higher crop yields.

Actions:

The K-DEN Farm was offered to apply drip irrigation through film cover on the area of 5 hectares in Yntaly Rural District.  The technique was adapted for project site by Doctor of Engineering R.I. Vagapov. The recommended technology is the most available to local farmers and ensures significant saving of irrigation water.

Necessary resources:

1) seeds of vegetable and cucurbit crops;

2) polyethylene film;

3) equipment (DT-75 tractor, seeder, cultivator);

4) labor for preparatory works, sowing and harvest campaigns;

5) expert consultations and training.

Results:

Financial and economic:

The yield of vegetable and cucurbit crops increased twofold compared to two previous years allowing the farm to receive the profit of $12,000/ha in spite of the fact that the whole yield was sold at low price to the local population of Eastern Kazakhstan and Almaty Regions.  In particular, the productivity of vegetable crops amounted to 350-400 dt/ha, and cucurbits – 400 dt/ha.

Technical:

Water saving made 220,040 m³.

Actions:

1. Water supply using PPL-50 is possible from: a) reinforced concrete trays, b) covered network, c) temporary earthen water distributers;
2. Prior to watering, the trays are manually distributed along the route and installed with required inclination perpendicular to the furrows in the beginning of the irrigated site. Sections are inserted into each other;
3. After adjustment, the kit is capable of ensuring the desired watering regime;
4. In case of long furrows (150+ m) layer watering is used with the application of flexible polyethylene film hoses (D=300 mm);
5. Depending on specific site conditions, inter-row spacing and crop type, the size of irrigation streams is regulated by way of adjusting the water supply control gate.

Results:

• 20-30% reduction of field unproductive losses;
• Increased productivity (2-4 dt/ha for wheat, 3-4 dt/ha for cotton);
• At least twofold increase of irrigator labor productivity;
• Increased land use ratio (1.5-2.5%).

Lessons learnt:

The practice of drip irrigation in combination with the application of polyethylene film has increased the efficiency of water use and crops productivity as well as reduced labor needs.

Recommendations:

The widespread deployment of water-saving technologies requires the presence of effective financial incentives for at water consumers.

• Domestic tools (outcomes of research by domestic R&D organizations),
• Foreign tools (transfer of foreign experience)

Lessons learnt:

PPL-50 can be used for watering cotton with 0.9 and 0.6 m row-spacing as well as vegetable and cucurbit crops with 0.3 m row-spacing.

Recommendations:

It is recommended to apply:

• PPL-50 (D=300 mm) in steep foothill conditions;
• PPL-50 (D=500 mm) in flat terrain;
• Prior to using the system in flat terrain conditions, it is desirable to do land planning.

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: Moderate

2. Approximate cost of investment per 1 ha: $7.6

3. O&M costs: Moderate

4. Expert support: Needed at implementation stage

Project title: Integrated preservation of globally significant wetlands as dwelling places of migrating birds.

Project duration: May 2008-Sept 2010.

Project goal and objectives: assessment of agro-economic and environmental efficiency of technology of sprinkling irrigation on vegetable crops; establishment of optimum watering regimes for vegetable crops based on mist sprinkling irrigation.

Project beneficiaries: peasants (farmers) and agricultural producers.

Project implementer: K-DEN Farm

Project title: Adaptation of contour furrows and layer watering via portable trays: research on establishing permanent furrows on the premises of Baikazan Farm of Parkent District.

Project duration: 2005-2006.

Project goal and objectives: improve local living standards and food security among rural residents as well as preserve soil fertility in farms located on sloped terrain by way of watering via contour furrows based on the greatest inclination and layer arrangement of assembly polyethylene trays.  The short-term project objective was to demonstrate the technology of watering via contour furrows based on the greatest inclination of sloped terrain and layer arrangement of assembly polyethylene trays.

Project beneficiaries: farms and dekhan farms.

Project implementer: ICARDA

K-DEN Farm,

Mr. Afrikan Konstantinovich Kim, farm head

(ph.: +7 701 227 27 49, +7 701 672 85 85)

SIC ICWC

SIC ICWC