| Local specifics |
Foothill area |
The Maktaaral Irrigation Massif has 220 vertical drainage wells (VDW), but currently practically all of them are not operational. The highest level of ground water occurrence in Maktaaral Irrigation Massif falls on December-February after completion of fall irrigation washings and water-charging. The beginning of vegetation season (April-May) is characterized by receding ground water table.
The second ground water table rise occurs during mass vegetation watering of main crops, as a rule in July-August.
The vertical drainage system in Maktaaral Irrigation Massif does not operate on permanent basis, but mainly during fall and winter (irrigation washing, water charging) and during the vegetation season at the time of insufficient irrigation water supply. |
| Problem solved through this practice |
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). |
Deterioration of reclamation situation: raising ground water table and land salination. Intensified water withdrawal, saving on pipes, reusing ground water for irrigation |
| Description of the practice and its results |
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. |
The pipeless water-lifting device allows fixing the submersible pump at a set depth and dividing the well’s trunk into suction and injection zones.
Water lifting is done via the casing column and not the water-lifting pipe used in traditional well operation technology.
At the same time:
- metal consumption and total weight of the pumping installation decreases by 60-90%;
- pollution of the water-bearing layer is excluded; assembly and dismantling costs decrease by 40-70%;
- power costs of water lifting decrease by 30%; water return of the water-bearing layer increases; possibility of polluting and/or infecting the water-bearing table is excluded making the suggested technology competitive.
This technology of pumping underground water renders the possibility of intensifying water withdrawal due to creating vacuum in the pump’s suction zone. |
| Lessons learnt and recommendations made |
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)
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There is a need to perform major repair of vertical drainage system with the aim of ensuring the timely diversion of drainage and waste water from the Maktaaral Irrigation Massif.
It is also necessary to identify the optimal environmental and reclamation conditions to prevent salination of irrigated massifs by way of re-using drainage water for irrigation.
The data on the chemical composition of drainage and waste water (as per reports by Southern Kazakhstan Hydro-Geological Reclamation Expedition) prove that in most cases such water can used for irrigation without the need to dilute it with clean irrigation water.
Required personnel capacity-building:
- continuous training of the staff of the Operational Section of Southern Kazakhstan branch of RSE “Kazvodkhoz” on assembly and dismantling of target equipment used for VDW re-fitting;
- drafting and disseminating training materials (operation recommendations, practical seminars and trainings).
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| Brief information on the project |
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 |
Within the framework of 5039GF/4 Project supported via the financial grant on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) of Kazakhstan, several demo-sites were established in Maktaaral District of Southern Kazakhstan Region to hold trainings and practical seminars for specialists and to promote the new technology of pumping underground water via vertical drainage wells re-fitted with pipeless water-lifting devices.
Observations of ground water level were performed in the irrigation massif; optimal reclamation regime for irrigated land via vertical drainage wells based on the new technology was developed. |
| Information sources |
K-DEN Farm,
Mr. Afrikan Konstantinovich Kim, farm head
(ph.: +7 701 227 27 49, +7 701 672 85 85) |
Tumlert, V.A., Tumlert, E.V. “Outcomes of designing a device to pump underground water via well casing column” //Fair and rational use of natural resources – a way to the future (III Urkumbayev Readings): report abstract for scientific and technical conference, Taraz 2015, pp. 337-347;
Amangeldiyev, S.S. “Power-and-resource-saving technology of pumping underground water via well casing column with submersible pumps” // Khabar TV Channel, “Innovative Overdrive” Program (in the Kazakh and Russian languages), May 2015;
Tumlert, V. A., Yugai, I.A., Telgarayeva, G.E., Tumlert, E.V. “Introducing a new resource-saving technology of operating vertical drainage wells in irrigated massifs of Southern Kazakhstan Region” // ”Agrarian Science in Agriculture of Siberia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Bulgaria”: report at the XIX International Scientific and Technical Conference, Minsk 2016, pp. 183-188;
Tumlert, V. A., Yugai, I.A., Ismailov, B.D. “Technology of pumping drainage water within the vertical drainage system in the irrigation massif of Southern Kazakhstan Region” // “Transboundary cooperation in Central Asia – stability and wellbeing of the whole region”: materials of international scientific and technical conference, Almaty 2017, pp. 181-187;
Tumlert, V. A., Yugai, I.A., Ismailov, B.D. “Intensifying water supply of distant pastures based on GIS-technologies” // “Prospects of innovative and investment development of the water sector”: materials of international scientific and technical conference, Kherson, Ukraine, May 18-19, 2017, pp. 133-137. |
