“To prevent water shortages in early spring, it is essential to retain as much moisture in the soil as possible during the autumn period. One effective method is autumn irrigation. Currently, there is no irrigation season, and there is an opportunity to use water to moisten the soil before the winter frosts,” noted Idirisov.
He added that with autumn irrigation, water freezes in the ground during winter, and in spring, when it thaws, it serves as a source of moisture for plants in the early stages of their growth. Another useful method is using a plow to turn the soil, which helps retain moisture from autumn precipitation and snow.
For rainfed and irrigated lands, it is recommended to use deep loosening tools (slotters), which help to loosen the soil to a depth of 60–70 cm.
“Regular plows provide loosening at a depth of 25–30 cm, while slotting allows moisture to penetrate deeper and be retained longer,” he added.
According to the ministry's data, this year it was planned to carry out such work on an area of 150 thousand hectares; however, to date, only about 60 thousand hectares have been processed, which is 35–40% of the planned volume.
Idirisov expressed concern about the lack of snow cover, which could negatively affect water supply in the spring period. In this regard, the Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with meteorologists, recommends that farmers prepare the soil in advance to reduce the risks of water shortages.
Additionally, he reported on the transition of regions, except for the Naryn region, to winter sowing.
“Winter crops have a yield that is 30–40% higher than spring crops. We are actively conducting outreach work and training farmers on the transition to winter sowing,” concluded the ministry representative.
