Currently, in the Chui Valley, with the formation of numerous small farms, peasant and other households, there has been a fragmentation of large farms from former collective and state farms. The tense ecological condition of the soil cover has resulted from the irrational use of land by farming and peasant households. Crop rotations are not followed, and in most cases, the planting of grain, technical, and other crops is practiced continuously. Monoculture leads to land degradation under the influence of factors such as water and wind erosion, soil pollution, salinization of irrigated lands, and others. Water and wind erosion is most widespread in the Chui Valley, affecting over 58% of the land area. Soil erosion reaches its greatest extent on cultivated lands. Specialists estimate that during one irrigation, between 20 to 40 tons of fertile soil can be washed away from one hectare. In recent years, gully erosion has become widespread on irrigated lands in the Chui Valley, especially on slopes steeper than 6°. It is known that soil fertility depends on the preservation of humus reserves in the soil. Unfortunately, the humus content is sharply decreasing, with losses reaching 30-40% or more in certain areas of the Chui Valley. This is very alarming, as we are already "cutting the branch" on which agriculture is based.
It should be noted that significant areas of arable land are being removed from agricultural use due to various forms of deterioration, i.e., land degradation. The main causes of the loss of land resources are:
• Soil erosion - the washing away or blowing away of the surface, most fertile layer of soil by water and wind;
• Loss of humus and reduction of fertility due to improper agronomy, mainly due to the lack of crop rotations and insufficient return of nutrients to the soil;
• Waterlogging and secondary salinization of the soil caused by non-drained irrigation and uncontrolled water supply;
• Machine-induced soil degradation (compaction, disruption of the structure of the plow layer, mixing it with the underlying rock, etc.), and the reduction of pasture productivity;
• Chemical and radiation pollution of the soil.
Field erosion is the enemy of fertility and a scourge of agriculture. According to specialists, every minute, 44 hectares of land are removed from agricultural circulation worldwide. Humanity loses more than 3000 hectares every day due to erosion. The damage caused by erosion does not stop there. The formation of rills, depressions, and gullies on the soil surface complicates land cultivation. It is clear that erosion is a natural phenomenon that is only exacerbated by thoughtless human economic activity. Therefore, this process cannot be stopped, but its effects can be slowed down.
The increase in salinized and solonetz soils in the republic is also concerning. The area of these soils in the Chui Valley alone, according to specialists, exceeds 350,000 hectares. Soil salinization can occur in various ways. One of the main reasons is excessive, unregulated irrigation through wild inflow.
Farmers need to be trained in modern irrigation methods.
