STATUS OF CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE IN CENTRAL ASIA

Aziz Nurbekov,

ICARDA-CAC,

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

ICARDA

Central Asia

Country Total territory(M ha)

Land area(M ha)

Cropland (M ha)

% cropland

% Agricul. GDP

Population (million)

Population density (km-2)

% rural population

Per capita cropland (ha)

Kazakhstan 272.49 269.70 24.0 8.8 5.3 15.7 6 42.8 1.45

Kyrgyzstan 19.99 19.18 1.4 7.0 25.8 5.2 28 63.4 0.25

Tajikistan 14.25 13.99 0.9 6.3 19.8 7.4 44 71.4 0.11

Turkmenistan 48.81 46.99 1.8 3.7 22.1 5.2 11 72.0 0.27

Uzbekistan 44.74 42.54 4.9 10.9 19.4 29.0 65 63.5 0.17

Total 400.30 392.70 33.0 8.3 9.9 62.5 15.1 62.6 0.45

Land resources and population and agricultural indicators of Central Asia

Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan -

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

19301960199020002010

tho

usa

nd

ha

Development of irrigated areas in five countries of Central Asia during 1930-2010

Crops Item/unit Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan Total Total

1992 2012 1992 2012 1992 2012 1992 2012 1992 2012 1992 2012Cotton Area (m ha) 0.11 0.19 0.02 0.05 0.29 0.29 0.57 0.60 1.67 1.39 2.66 2.52

Prod (m t) 0.23 0.34 0.04 0.16 0.53 0.49 1.18 0.66 3.86 3.79 5.84 5.44Yield (t ha-1) 2.09 1.79 2.00 3.20 1.83 1.69 2.07 1.10 2.31 2.73 2.20 2.16

Wheat Area (m ha) 13.72 13.46 0.25 0.32 0.18 0.34 0.20 0.70 0.63 1.40 14.98 16.22Prod (m t) 18.29 13.19 0.68 0.53 0.17 0.84 0.38 1.20 0.96 6.52 20.48 22.28Yield (t ha-1) 1.33 0.98 2.72 1.66 0.94 2.47 1.90 1.71 1.52 4.66 1.37 1.37

Rice Area (m ha) 0.12 0.97 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.03 0.06 0.18 0.07 0.34 1.12Prod (m t) 0.47 2.22 0.00 0.03 0.02 0.09 0.06 0.15 0.54 0.12 1.09 2.61Yield (t ha-1) 3.92 2.29 0.00 3.00 2.00 9.00 2.00 2.50 3.00 1.71 3.21 2.33

Barley Area (m ha) 5.63 1.61 0.26 0.15 0.06 0.07 0.06 0.07 0.05 0.07 6.06 1.97Prod (m t) 8.51 0.95 0.62 0.21 0.04 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.09 0.12 9.39 1.54Yield (t ha-1) 1.51 0.59 2.38 1.40 0.67 1.86 2.17 1.86 1.80 1.71 1.55 0.78

Total Area (m ha) 19.58 16.23 0.53 0.53 0.54 0.71 0.86 1.43 2.53 2.93 24.04 21.83Prod (m t) 27.50 16.70 1.34 0.93 0.76 1.55 1.75 2.14 5.45 10.55 36.80 31.87Yield (t ha-1) 1.40 1.03 2.53 1.75 1.41 2.18 2.03 1.50 2.15 3.60 1.53 1.46

Area, production and productivity of agricultural crops in Central Asian countries, 1992 and 2012

• Rapid growth of population followed by increasing demand for food and feed

• Area under irrigation has been increasing, but no more possible…

• Arable land per capita is declining and competition for land and water is increasing

• Rising prices of inputs (fuel, fertilizer, seed, pesticides, etc.)

• Land degradation (salinization, soil erosion, waterlogging and overstocking)

Current and emerging challenges in CA

Conservation agriculture can address these

challenges

ICARDA

History:• Conservation tillage (erosion control, Soviet times)• Research work on CA (i.e. CIMMYT, ICARDA, ZEF etc.)

since the late 1990s

History:• Conservation tillage (erosion control, Soviet times)• Research work on CA (i.e. CIMMYT, ICARDA, ZEF etc.)

since the late 1990s

1989-1998 2000-2006 2006-2009 2009-20120

5

10

15

20

25

Time span for CA projects 1989-2012

BMBF a

nd DAAD

New Z

ealand

ADB

UNESCO-Z

EFFAO

GEF-S

GP

GoT

JIRCAS

WB

ISU

UNDP

USAID0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Series1

Donor organizations

Conservation Agriculture Effects

- better developed crops and high rate of return crops from agricultural investments ; and

- less erosion in the irrigated areas

ICARDA

- slowing evaporation of precious soil moisture because residues are slower to degrade;

- No-tilling also conserves soil moisture, so more organic matter is produced, outweighing the initial loss of feed.

Results of crop residues left in place:

Conservation Agriculture EffectsICARDA

• Farm power and energy for field production can be reduced by up to 60% compared to conventional farming due to elimination of most power intensive operations, such as tillage, harrowing, chiseling and packing;

• Additional equipment investment, particularly the number and size of tractors, is reduced;

• double crops will be essential to improve sustainability of farming and land use efficiency

Benefits of Conservation agriculture method

Use of agrochemicals and mineral fertilizer is declined; Adaptation to climate change - Increased soil organic matter levels improve the water holding capacity and enable plants to get through extended drought periods;

ICARDA

No-till Conven. Till Minin till41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

Double cropped maize green mass yield affected by tillage method, t/ha, (Kaza-

khstan) 2012-2013

20122013

ICARDA

Planting method Spent fuel for field prepation and planting, l/ha

Root length, cm

Plant height, cm

Yield, t/ha

Conventional 53.6 25.4 67.17 1.61

No-till with 1 cultivation

13.6 23.5 68.83 1.77

No-till 5.9 23.8 65.35 1.94

Mungbean grown as a catch crop with retention of surface residues in Karshi (2011-2013)

ICARDA

Adoption – Regionally

Kazakhstan 1.7 million ha Uzbekistan 0.6 million ha no-till wheat

(only one year), including 1500 ha in rainfed area

Tajikistan 50,000 ha no-till wheat Turkmenistan no data Kyrgyzstan 30,000 no-till wheat

ICARDA

Why has there been so little adoption of Conservation Agriculture outside the

Kazakhstan?

ICARDA

Under practically all tilled agriculture, soil organic matter levels are falling.

CA is the only practical solution we know to stop and revert soil organic matter decline.

Therefore, under practically all tilled agriculture situations, a change to CA IS necessary.

People often say “Under our conditions a change to conservation

agriculture is not necessary”

ICARDA

Access to Equipment

Adequate equipment, especially for direct seeding, is a prerequisite for successful application of CA

There is little private investment in the development of equipment for smallholder farmers

ICARDA

Access to Equipment (2)

Dissemination of available equipment

Participatory evaluation and modification

Stimulation (support) of local manufacture

ICARDA

Fertilizer boxSeed box

Seed boxes for cottonand maize

Planter developed by TIIM

Developed seed planters by TIIM

2003 (I version) 2004 (II version) 2004 (III version) 2005 (IV version)

Access to Inputs

CA may require more investment in purchased inputs, especially in the first years

Weed control is a major factor in the early years of CA and herbicide use may be important

Due to low volumes of demand and production, coverage of input and output markets may be poor

Programs that help support and develop input and output markets are necessary

ICARDA

Competition for Crop Residues

Competition is mainly for animal feed

Animals are generally very important components of the production system

Communal grazing rights often apply

ICARDA

Competition for Crop Residues (2)

But surface crop residue retention is essential for the success of CA

How much residue must be kept?

ICARDA

Labor use and labor productivity

The most important factor that has driven adoption on small farms in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan while in Uzbekistan on livestock farms

In many cases crop productivity per unit of labor is more important than per unit of land

ICARDA

Policy Aspects

Land tenure

Subsidies

Land stewardship payments and environmental services

ICARDA

•Mind set – overcoming the culture of the plough. More difficult for researchers who have expounded the need for intensive tillage.•More effort is needed in dissemination and local manufacture of the adapted equipment.•Lack of extension services throughout the region and lack of farmer expertise and extension systems. •Competition for crop residues. Smallholder farmers generally manage mixed crop/livestock systems where crop residues are used as animal feed.

ConstraintsICARDA

• In CA practices the main terms are creating of crop residue in the field with stubble stems and chopped straw, to provide full effect of mulching. • Agricultural policies should promote food legumes growing as double crops in cotton-wheat systems to improve rural livelihoods and soil fertility management for sustainable agriculture.• Agricultural policies should allow farmers growing cash crops as

second crop after winter wheat for better livelihoods of farmers.

Recommendations ICARDA

CA - • is responding to regional challenges • is known in parts of the region• is growing (Northern Kazakhstan)• is productive and sustainable (win-win)• is a major shift in paradigm• requires supportive policies for accelerated adoption

CA - • is responding to regional challenges • is known in parts of the region• is growing (Northern Kazakhstan)• is productive and sustainable (win-win)• is a major shift in paradigm• requires supportive policies for accelerated adoption

Conclusions

Thank youICARDA