- It is important to learn to conserve water, regardless of weather conditions.
The problem is that up to 50% of this valuable resource is lost in irrigation channels dug into the ground. These are catastrophic losses, as half of the moisture does not reach the fields. Therefore, it is necessary to invest in the cementing of irrigation systems, cleaning of ditches, and construction of small reservoirs to regulate water flow.
We must do everything possible to ensure that not a single gram, not a single liter of water is wasted.
In addition to this, we should switch to modern irrigation methods, such as drip irrigation and sprinkling. However, the situation currently remains at the level of discussions. The area irrigated using modern technologies is only 1%.
The remaining fields are cultivated using traditional methods, without control and systematization. This requires attention.
- Water losses in the channels require urgent measures. Moreover, the area of glaciers continues to decrease, which means that water reserves in our region will not increase, and the climate dictates new conditions for agriculture?
- Absolutely right, we need to think about the future and how to prevent the intensive melting of glaciers. This requires investments, including support from international organizations. Our president has already appealed to the UN, emphasizing that the preservation of eternal glaciers is a task for all humanity.
An important aspect is the increase of forest areas in mountainous regions, which are decreasing every year. Previously, forests covered 5% of the territory, but now only 3%.
Therefore, it is necessary to focus on planting new trees in high-altitude conditions and improving the state of pastures by sowing grasses and properly utilizing these lands. Currently, 30% of pastures have degraded due to irrational use.
It is also necessary to consider the need for pasture rotation so that they can recover. This is related to regulating livestock numbers, as there has been a sharp increase in the number of horses and cattle lately.
We should approach the spring season prepared to deal with the possible drought in the summer.
- What proposals do you have as a scientist regarding this?
- This year, it is necessary to focus on selecting crops that require less water but still provide high yields. Such crops include cereal grains that can be sown in early spring.
I believe that we should increase the sown areas for wheat and barley, as we currently cover only 50% of our bread needs, with the rest being imported. It is time to address this issue.
Recently, the number of imported seeds has increased, mainly from Russia and Kazakhstan, but many varieties there are not drought-resistant and have lower yields compared to ours.
Therefore, we should actively use domestic varieties developed by our scientists, which are adapted to the conditions of Kyrgyzstan and have high resistance to droughts, diseases, and pests. Such varieties include winter wheats - Asyl, Tilek, and Kiyal, as well as spring varieties - Araket, Kasiyet, and Dank.
Additionally, we have developed varieties for cultivation on uncultivated lands where there is no irrigation, and we have 450,000 hectares of such areas. There are drought-resistant varieties such as Aydyr, Kairak, and Ehol, which can yield 10-15 quintals per hectare even without artificial irrigation. These opportunities need to be utilized more actively.
It is also necessary to increase the areas under spring barley, which is the main feed for livestock. Without it, it is impossible to obtain meat, milk, or wool. We have excellent varieties of both spring and winter barley developed by domestic scientists.
The Ministry of Agriculture should immediately organize the production of seeds of domestic varieties adapted to our conditions, instead of relying on imports. The climatic and soil conditions in Russia and Kyrgyzstan differ significantly, and this is important to consider.
As for spring sowing, I am confident that there is enough moisture in the soil for a successful start. However, special attention should be paid to water accumulation for the growing season in the summer and autumn. We need to actively improve water management facilities and build new ones.
