PRACTICE OF CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE IN AZERBAIJAN, KAZAKHSTAN AND UZBEKISTAN © FAO/ I.Jumshudov © FAO/ © FAO/ А.Nurbekov © FAO/ А.Nurbekov © FAO/ PRACTICE OF CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE IN AZERBAIJAN, KAZAKHSTAN AND UZBEKISTAN Aziz Nurbekov Amir Kassam Dossymbek Sydyk Zokhidjon Ziyadullaev Imran Jumshudov Hafiz Muminjanov David Feindel Jozef Turok FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Ankara, 2016 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. 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All requests for translation and adaptation rights, and for resale and other com- mercial use rights should be made via www.fao.org/contact-us/licence-request or addressed to [email protected]. FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/publi- cations) and can be purchased through [email protected]. Photo cover: Seymur Safarli Printed in Turkey CONTENTS Abbreviation ................................................................................................................................vii Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................ix Foreword ......................................................................................................................................xi 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................................1 1.1. Status of agricultural systems in the project countries .............................................................1 1.2. Conservation Agriculture in the region ...................................................................................3 2. Permanent-bed planting technologies .........................................................................................7 2.1. Bed planted winter wheat management ................................................................................7 2.1.1. Seeding date and rate ............................................................................................................................8 2.1.2. Fertilizer application under bed-planting ...............................................................................................9 2.1.3. Irrigation ................................................................................................................................................9 2.1.4. Economics of permanent bed planted winter wheat ............................................................................ 12 2.2. Permanent bed planted maize .............................................................................................13 2.2.1. Planting period and rate ....................................................................................................................... 13 2.2.2. Water management in maize production for grain ............................................................................... 14 3. No-Till technology .....................................................................................................................17 3.1. No-Till irrigated winter wheat ..............................................................................................17 3.2. No-Till winter wheat under rainfed conditions ......................................................................17 3.2.1. Timelines, standards and seed depth.................................................................................................... 18 3.2.2. Planting dates and seed rates ............................................................................................................... 19 3.2.3. Fertilizer application and crop management ........................................................................................ 20 3.3. No-Till maize .......................................................................................................................21 3.3.1. Seeding date and rate .......................................................................................................................... 21 3.3.2. Fertilizer and herbicide application ...................................................................................................... 21 3.3.3. Water management in No-Till maize production .................................................................................. 22 3.3.4. No-Till maize yield ................................................................................................................................ 22 3.3.5. Cost-effectiveness of No-Till maize production ..................................................................................... 23 3.4. No-Till alfalfa growing in rainfed and irrigated conditions .....................................................24 3.4.1. No-Till alfalfa seeding date and rate ..................................................................................................... 25 3.4.2. Fertilizer application............................................................................................................................. 25 3.4.3. Harvesting ............................................................................................................................................ 26 3.4.4. No-Till alfalfa under irrigation .............................................................................................................. 26 4. Weed control ............................................................................................................................27 4.1. Weed management in No-Till winter wheat ..........................................................................27 4.1.1. Most common weed species ................................................................................................................. 27 4.1.2. Herbicide application date and rate ...................................................................................................... 29 iii 4.2. Weed management under No-Till maize ...............................................................................31 4.2.1. Herbicide application date and rate ...................................................................................................... 31 4.3. Weed management in No-Till alfalfa ....................................................................................32 4.3.1. Common weeds in alfalfa fields ............................................................................................................ 32 4.3.2. Herbicide application date and rate ...................................................................................................... 33 5. Crop rotation under No-Till ........................................................................................................35 5.1. Recommended crop rotation for irrigated production under CA ..............................................37 5.1.1. Recommended short-term cereal crop rotations for irrigated zones ..................................................... 37 5.1.2. Recommended fodder crop rotation for irrigated production ............................................................... 37 5.1.3. Crop rotation for rainfed production ..................................................................................................... 37 5.2. Recommended legumes for CA .............................................................................................38 5.2.1. Soybean ............................................................................................................................................... 39 5.2.2. Kidney bean ......................................................................................................................................... 40 5.2.3. Mung bean ........................................................................................................................................... 40 5.3. Double cropping ..................................................................................................................43 5.3.1. Double cropping with mung bean ........................................................................................................ 43 5.3.2. Double cropped maize .........................................................................................................................