Activities of the All-Union Research Institute of Grain Farming in the Framework of Combating Soil Erosion in Virgin Regions of Kazakhstan (1960–1970)

Abstract

Introduction. The history of the contribution of Soviet scientists to the development of virgin and fallow lands in Kazakhstan is one of the relevant and new topics in the study of the history of the USSR in modern society. Methods and materials. Studying the history of a large agricultural project of the Soviet Union is necessary to develop new concepts in modern historical science. In Soviet and modern historiography, historians have studied virgin soil as a political and economic reform of the state. In this vein, the contribution of Soviet scientists who solved the issues of environmental and economic efficiency of this agrarian reform was not sufficiently represented. The works do not present the fight against land erosion, organized by the All-Union Research Institute of Grain Farming located in Northern Kazakhstan. Analysis. For scientific work and research of virgin lands, the opening of the AllUnion Scientific Research Institute of Grain Farming in Northern Kazakhstan was necessary. Famous agricultural scientists worked at the institute; they conducted their research in the fields of Tselinny Krai. Academician A.I. Baraev, breeder, academician V. Kuzmin were among them. They were engaged not only in scientific work, but also in a short time saved the virgin lands of Kazakhstan. Their direct scientific work was related to the fight against land erosion and the protection of soils from wind erosion. At the Institute, scientists created new soil tilling tools and seeders, improved a new farming system, and created new highly productive varieties of crops. The Institute defended dissertations on topics related to the fight against land erosion, and conducted many scientific projects. Results. The work with new sources of local archives of Kazakhstan makes it possible to talk about the enormous contribution of Soviet scientists in the development of virgin and long-fallow lands of the arid North Kazakhstan and the development of agriculture in this region. Their experience and scientific results were invaluable in the agricultural sector of the republic.