Opportunities of Adopting Conservation Agriculture in Tashkent and Sirdaryo Provinces, Uzbekistan Kuddusbek Tashpulatov Ahmatjanovich MSc thesis in Environmental Sciences July, 2017 Supervised by: Dr Andre van Amstel Course code: 80436 Environmental Systems Analysis Opportunities of Adopting Conservation Agriculture in Tashkent and Sirdaryo Provinces, Uzbekistan Kuddusbek Tashpulatov Ahmatjanovich Registration number 930423823030 ESA-80436 MSc Thesis Environmental Systems Analysis July, 2017 Supervisors 1 Examiner 1 Dr Andre van Amstel Dr Andre van Amstel Environmental Systems Analysis Environmental Systems Analysis Wageningen UR Wageningen UR Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Supervisor 2 Examiner 2 Dr Alim Pulatov Dr Dolf de Groot EcoGIS centre Environmental Systems Analysis Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration Wageningen UR Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] 1 Preface The author expresses first and foremost thanks to the coordinators of the ERASMUS MUNDUS TIMUR project – Dr Alim Pulatov and Ms Ewa Wietsma for their initial and continuous support in all stages of the selection process. Specifically, giving me the unprecedented opportunity of being taught Master‟s degree in Environmental Sciences in one of the most prestigious educational establishments in the world. As well as to undertake my internship at Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration. My heartfelt gratitude for both of my supervisors – Dr Andre van Amstel and Dr Alim Pulatov – for their guidance and support. By means of their advice and guidance, I was able to conquer my fear and to regard difficulties and obstacles as challenges, which I willingly and eagerly overcame. I am also appreciative of all the support my family and friends have given me. Their belief and encouragement was of the pivotal importance during toughest periods of my studies; and allowed me to find the power to keep on in situations where I was ready to give in and give up. 2 Table of Contents Preface ........................................................................................................................................ 2 Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... 3 Abbreviations and Acronyms ..................................................................................................... 5 List of tables ............................................................................................................................... 6 List of figures ............................................................................................................................. 6 Summary..................................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter I. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Background of the study ................................................................................................... 9 1.2 Problem statement .......................................................................................................... 10 1.3. Study area ...................................................................................................................... 10 1.4 Research objective and research questions ..................................................................... 13 1.4.1 Research questions ................................................................................................... 13 1.5 Significance of the study ................................................................................................ 14 1.6 Organization of the thesis ............................................................................................... 14 Chapter 2. Literature review ..................................................................................................... 16 2.1 General overview of conservation agriculture................................................................ 16 2.2 Conservation Agriculture in Uzbekistan ........................................................................ 17 2.3 Fuel and labour costs ...................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 3. Methods and materials ............................................................................................ 21 3.1 Research methods ........................................................................................................... 21 3.2 Data collection ................................................................................................................ 22 3.3 Data analysis ................................................................................................................... 24 Chapter 4. Comparison of CA and TA ..................................................................................... 26 4.1 Experimental field .......................................................................................................... 26 4.1.1 Cotton production in TA and CA ............................................................................. 27 4.1.2 Winter wheat production in TA and CA .................................................................. 28 4.1.3 Cover crop in TA and CA ........................................................................................ 29 Chapter 5. Fuel and labour consumption in TA and CA .......................................................... 30 Chapter 6. Farmer‟s perception towards CA ............................................................................ 33 3 6.1 Context of Tashkent and Sirdaryo regions ..................................................................... 33 6.2. Farmer‟s perception towards CA ................................................................................... 36 6.3. Obstacles to CA adoption .............................................................................................. 37 6.4. Economic justification ................................................................................................... 38 Chapter 7. Discussion ............................................................................................................... 41 7.1. Weaknesses and Challenges .......................................................................................... 41 7.2. Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 41 Chapter 8. Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 43 References: ............................................................................................................................... 44 Annex 1 .................................................................................................................................... 48 Annex 2 .................................................................................................................................... 51 Annex 3 .................................................................................................................................... 56 4 Abbreviations and Acronyms CA…………………….Conservation Agriculture CBA………………..Cost benefit Analysis CAC…………………..Central Asian Countries EcoGIS………………..Research and Academic Centre FAO………………Food and Agricultural Organization GDP………………Gross domestic product GIS………………..Geographic Information System ha………………..hectare IWMI……………..International Water Management Institute mm………………millimetre N…………………Nitrogen N/A………..… Not applicable RQ…….………. Research Questions SD…………………Standard Deviation SOM………………..Soil Organic Matter SPSS………………..Statistical Package for the Social Sciences TA……………...Traditional Agriculture TIIM………………..Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration USD…………….United States Dollar 5 List of tables Table 1 - Resource-saving practices according to Mitchell et al. (2009) ................................. 17 Table 2 - Worldwide adoption of agriculture in 2013 .............................................................. 17 Table 3 - List of interviewees ................................................................................................... 22 Table 4 - Sample size in the district ......................................................................................... 23 Table 5 - TA and CA - crop rotation ........................................................................................ 26 Table 6 - Farmer demographics................................................................................................ 33 Table 7 - Farmer‟s perception towards CA .............................................................................. 37 Table 8 - Themes in interviews with farmers ........................................................................... 38 Table 9 - Cotton production processes in TA........................................................................... 51 Table 10 - Cotton production processes in CA ........................................................................ 52 Table 11 - Winter wheat production processes in TA .............................................................. 53 Table 12 - Winter wheat production processes in CA.............................................................. 54 Table