Increasing water-use efficiency in sloping areas of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

Abstract

Low water-use efficiency and soil erosion are the main constraints to improved agricultural production in the sloping areas of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The soil degradation could be arrested by introducing water-saving and soil conservation technologies such as strip cropping, supplemental irrigation, mulching, and contour irrigation. During 2000-2002, these technologies were studied at different agroecological conditions in the region. Strip cropping and mulching were tested in the semi-humid zone at the Faizabad site, Tajikstan.