Conservation agriculture as a tool to enhance resilience in changing environmental conditions Tashkent 19th May 2008 Alim Pulatov Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration WUR and TIIM EcoGIS Center Alim Pulatov Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration WUR and TIIM EcoGIS Center

Content Outline Introduction Carbon sequestration Soil moisture management Salinity management Application of conservation agriculture in Uzbekistan Conclusions

Conservation Agriculture The FAO or Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations have determined that CA has three key principles:  Minimal soil disturbance  Surface crop residue retention  Crop rotation

Reduced greenhouse gases emissions Saving in water use Salinity management improved Reduced erosion Improved soil quality characteristics Reduced fuel consumption in field works Less cost of crop production Reduced labor work and time in for production Improved crop turn-around times Increased land-use efficiency Advantages of Conservation Agriculture

World wide No-tillage adoption 47.0% North America 37.0% 13.0% 2.6% Latin America = 32 Mill. ha Australia Rest of the World (R. Derpsch, 2002)

Atmospheric concentrations of the major greenhouse, their rise, residence time and contribution to the global warming Type Тип Residence time (years) Annual Rise (%) 1985 concentration Radiative absorption potential Contribution to greenhouse warming (%) CO ppm150 CO ppbn.a. CH ppm3219 N2ON2O ppb1504 O3O n.a.2,0008 CFCs ppb>10,00015 Bouwman, 1990

Terrestrial carbon cycle SOILS AND CARBON SEQUESTRATION Soils are the largest carbon reservoir of the terrestrial carbon cycle. The quantity of C stored in soils is highly significant; soils contain about three times more C than vegetation and twice as much as that which is present in the atmosphere (Batjes and Sombroek, 1997). Soils contain much more C (1 500 Pg of C to 1 m depth and Pg of C to 2 m; 1 Pg = 1 gigatonne) than is contained in vegetation (650 Pg of C) and twice as much C as the atmosphere (750 Pg of C)

No. 1 Environmental Enemy in Production Agriculture Don Reicosky, 2002

Kern and Johnson, 1993 Impact of tillage systems on fate of carbon by 2020

Carbon sequestration Changes in cropping practices, such as from conventional to conservation tillage, have been shown to sequester about 0.1 – 0.3 metric tons of carbon per acre per year (Lal et al. 1999; West and Post 2002). However, a more comprehensive picture of the climate effects of these practices needs to also consider possible nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions. Lal’s (2004) estimates of the potential of soil C sequestration in the Central Asian countries indicate a range of 10 to 23 Tg C yr-1 over 50 years.

Results and discussions Soil CO2 flux from different soil tillage methods Почвенный CO2 поток из разных методов вспашки почв. Cumulative CO2 flux from different soil tillage methods Совокупный CO2 поток от разных методов вспашки

Treatments TreatmentsMaximumMinimum СО 2 flux, g CO 2 m-2 h-1 СО 2 flux, g CO 2 m-2 h-1 Moldboard Plow Minimum tillage (Chisel Plow) Zero tillage Results and discussions

Effect of tillage and residue management on soil organic matter, averaged over the years ( ) Without crop residue With crop residue

Water use efficiency CA with residue mulch can increase the available water storage in the root zone by increasing infiltration and decreasing soil temperature, reducing evaporation losses and improving water use efficiency.

Soil moisture content before tillage Soil moisture content after tillage CA experimental data with soil moisture

Soil moisture measuring on cotton field at TANO (12 cm depth)

Soil moisture measuring on corn field at TANO (12 cm depth)

Soil salinization is a naturally occurring process in drought-prone regions of the country, affecting a huge area in the midstream and downstream Amudarya and Syr- Darya basins. More then 58% of land reserve suitable for irrigation is subjected to natural salinization Comparative analysis shows that the trend of soil salinization over a 10 year period has a stable nature: the area of saline lands has increased by million hectares, more than 45% of which are soils of moderate and high degree of salinization Secondary salinization takes place in conditions of high groundwater levels and poor drainage. Over-irrigation and high water loss from canals and irrigated fields produces a fast rise of the groundwater table and salt accumulation in the root zone. At present areas of secondary salinization are more than 2,279,000 hectares, i.e. 53% of irrigated lands of which 47% (1.08 million hectares) falls at moderate and high salinization Salinized lands require substantial water for leaching, which makes up 20% of all water used in the fields Land degradation is a serious economic, social, and environmental problem in Uzbekistan and the rest of Central Asia. It directly affects the livelihood of the rural population by reducing land productivity, and by causing agricultural production losses estimated at $2 billion a year for the region. Salinity issues in Uzbekistan

Conservation agriculture technology

Effect of tillage and residue management on soil salinity, averaged over the years ( ) Without crop residue With crop residue

Adoption steps of CA in irrigated fields Uzbekistan CA experiments with TAMU and ISU in TIIM research farm. Rotation cycles of cotton with maize and alfalfa and 8 years no tillage! CA experiences with Massey University (New Zealand) in Tashkent region, 3 years of wheat – wheat system of FAO CA workshop in Tashkent 2002 UNESCO-ZEF project started region Ecological Landscape Restoration in Khorezm region 5 years 2002 UNESCO-ZEF project started region Ecological Landscape Restoration in Khorezm region 5 years 2003 Case New Holland (CNH) started adopt CA on their model farm 2003 Case New Holland (CNH) started adopt CA on their model farm FAO/TCP/UZB-2902 project in Karakalpakstan FAO/TCP/UZB-2902 project in Karakalpakstan FAO/TCP/UZB/3001 project in Tashkent region FAO/TCP/UZB/3001 project in Tashkent region 2005 ADB Grain productivity improvement project 2005 ADB Grain productivity improvement project 2008 ADB Land Improvement Project loan 2008 ADB Land Improvement Project loan 2010 GEF grant to support LIP 2010 GEF grant to support LIP

Filed preparation for permanent bed cropping system black oat, pea and triticale

Application of Roundup on cover crop

Knife roller helping to lay down black oath, pea and triticale

Planting cotton under the permanent beds cropping system

Local machinery developed for conservation agriculture 2003 (I версия) 2004 (II версия) 2004 (III версия) 2005 (IV версия)

Emergence of cotton seedlings after no tillage planting

Cotton plant development under CA

Maize plant development on 8 th of July, 2005

Effect of tillage and residue management on crop yield Without crop residue With crop residue

Conservation agriculture can enhance resilience of system in changing environmental conditions CA can help with soil carbon sequestration Significant effect on soil moisture maintenance and storage CA improve of soil salinity management on irrgated areas Conclusion

Thanks for your attention