Agricultural Land Reclamation Research Articles

Natural Water Sources and Small-Scale Non-Artisanal Andesite Mining: Scenario Analysis of Post-Mining Land Interventions Using System Dynamics

Small-scale open-pit, non-artisanal mining of low-value ores is an understudied practice despite its widespread occurrence and potential impact on freshwater resources due to mining-induced land-use/cover changes (LUCCs). This research investigates the long-term impacts of andesite mining in Pasuruan, Indonesia, on the Umbulan Spring’s water discharge within its watershed. System Dynamics (SD) modeling captures the systemic and systematic impact of mining-induced LUCCs on discharge volumes and groundwater recharge. Agricultural and reservoir-based land reclamation scenarios then reveal post-mining temporal dynamics. The no-mining scenario sees the spring’s discharge consistently decrease until an inflection point in 2032. With mining expansion, reductions accelerate by ~1.44 million tons over two decades, or 65.31 thousand tons annually. LUCCs also decrease groundwater recharge by ~2.48 million tons via increased surface runoff. Proposed post-mining land interventions over reclaimed mining areas influence water volumes differently. Reservoirs on reclaimed land lead to ~822.14 million extra tons of discharge, 2.75 times higher than the agricultural scenario. Moreover, reservoirs can restore original recharge levels by 2039, while agriculture only reduces the mining impact by 28.64% on average. These findings reveal that small-scale non-artisanal andesite mining can disrupt regional hydrology despite modest operating scales. Thus, evidence-based guidelines are needed for permitting such mines based on environmental risk and site water budgets. Policy options include discharge or aquifer recharge caps tailored to small-scale andesite mines. The varied outputs of rehabilitation scenarios also highlight evaluating combined land and water management interventions. With agriculture alone proving insufficient, optimized mixes of revegetation and water harvesting require further exploration.

Reclamation of abandoned cropland switches fungal community assembly from deterministic to stochastic processes

Soil microbial communities are major drivers of cycling of soil nutrients that sustain plant growth and productivity. Yet, a holistic understanding of the impact of abandoned agricultural land reclamation on the soil microbe is still poorly understood, especially for the microbial community assembly mechanisms. Here, we investigated the influence of reclamation on the relative importance of stochastic and deterministic processes in shaping microbial community assembly. After reclaiming abandoned cropland for corn and soybean cultivation, the fungal community assembly was shifted to stochastic processes, while bacterial communities remained predominantly influenced by stochastic processes. Our study revealed that reclamation did not significantly affect bacterial diversity, community niche breadth, and community similarity. In contrast, fungal communities exhibited lower alpha diversity, narrower niche breadths, greater niche overlap and higher community similarity in corn and soybean cultivation treatment in response to reclamation. Moreover, soil pH and soil available phosphorus were the most important environmental factors influencing fungal richness, niche breadths, community assembly processes, and community similarity. Together, the reclamation of abandoned cropland promoted the transformation of the fungal community assembly from deterministic process to a stochastic process, leading to decreased fungal diversity and broader ecological niche width, ultimately resulting in greater similarity among fungal communities. This finding provides insight into the varied responses of microbial diversity and ecological process to abandoned cropland reclamation, offering valuable guidance for the conservation and sustainable management of abandoned cropland in future land-use practices.

Thriving against the odds: Exploring halotolerant rhizobacteria in the saline rhizosphere of Tuzla lagoon's halophytes

Soil salinization poses a significant threat to global crop production, affecting around 20% of agricultural fields with the challenges of osmotic and ionic stress. The reclamation of salinity-affected agricultural lands is a pressing concern. To bridge existing gaps in our understanding of halotolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), this research strategically focuses on isolating and characterizing these beneficial bacteria from the rhizosphere of halophytes in the Tuzla lagoon area. The objective is to contribute essential insights, fostering a deeper understanding of halotolerant PGPR for application in sustainable agricultural practices, particularly in alleviating salinity-induced stress in plants.All nine isolates demonstrated remarkable abilities, including the synthesis of siderophores, with isolates B15, C20, E2, and H9 showcasing phosphate solubilization. Additionally, isolates E2 and H9 displayed phytase production, and five isolates exhibited indole acetic acid synthesis. Although 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase production was absent, hydrogen cyanide synthesis was evident in all isolates except H9. Isolate E2 did not demonstrate cellulase synthesis, but biofilm formation was observed in all isolates except C23.To assess the salinity stress mitigation potential of the isolates, a randomized complete block design bioassay was conducted with ten treatments (nine bacterial isolates and a control) across four salt concentrations (0 mM, 100 mM, 200 mM, and 300 mM). While the isolates successfully demonstrated multiple plant growth-promoting traits, their capacity to significantly alleviate the effects of salinity stress on wheat plants suggests the need for further exploration. Comprehensive greenhouse/field trials under diverse physiological and environmental conditions are recommended to unlock the full potential of these isolates in effectively mitigating salinity stress in crops.

Salinization of irrigated agricultural lands in the Altai Territory

Introduction. The Altai Territory is the leader among the subjects of the Siberian Federal District in terms of the area of arable land, of which more than 80% is located in the zone of unstable moisture. Irrigation predominates among agricultural hydrotechnical land reclamation in the region. The area of irrigated land is 69 thousand hectares, of which almost 10 % have varying degrees of salinity in the root layer. Prolonged irrigation of land and non-compliance with irrigation technologies can lead to salinization of lands in irrigation systems. The purpose of the research: spatio-temporal assessment and clustering of salinization of irrigated lands in the context of municipal districts and agrochemical zones: steppe, forest-steppe and foothills. Material and methods. In Russia, all irrigation systems have uniform rules for collecting data on the state of land, conducting soil-salt surveys and laboratory processing of their results. The research material was observational data on the salt regime of lands in irrigation systems of the Altai Territory for 2013-2022, data from annual state monitoring of lands, information on irrigated lands and the technical condition of reclamation systems from the reclamation cadastre. The research methods were general scientific methods (analysis and synthesis), applied mathematical methods (regression and cluster analysis), scientific methods of hydraulic engineering agricultural reclamation. Results and discussion. Based on the reclamation cadastre data, an analysis of the state of irrigated agricultural land was carried out according to the degree of salinization. A model of the dynamics of the area of highly and very highly saline lands was constructed, statistical assessments of the quality of the model were checked, and the average rate of annual increase in the area of lands subject to salinity was determined. An analysis has been made of the most possible causes of salinization on irrigated lands, which include high levels and salinity of groundwater, high salinity of water used for irrigation. Calculations were carried out, among other things, for agrochemical zones: steppe, forest-steppe and foothills. The dynamics of areas with different groundwater levels, groundwater salinity and irrigation water were assessed. Based on data for the beginning of 2015 and 2022, a cluster analysis of the regions of the Altai Territory was carried out according to the degree of salinization of irrigated agricultural lands. The dynamics of changes in the number of regions and the area of irrigated land in clusters is analyzed. In conclusion, the calculation results are summarized and general conclusions are drawn about the dynamics and possible reasons for changes in the studied indicators. The results can be directly used by government authorities and organizations of the reclamation complex of the Altai Territory.

Environmental assessment of the state of fallow drained meadow-soddy-gley and brown mountain-forest soils to involve them into a new agricultural turnover (on the example of the Jewish autonomous region)

Relevance. In the context of ever-increasing anthropogenic influence, the importance of agricultural land reclamation increases and becomes more complicated. Involvement of new virgin soils in agricultural circulation requires large financial investments and huge labor resources, which the local administration does not have. The secondary return to agricultural circulation of fallow reclaimed lands that are not used in agriculture may be a less costly method of increasing the area of agricultural arable land. Aim. To analyze the changes in vegetation and aggregate composition on drained fallow soils of different ages. Object. Drained fallow meadow-soddy-gley and brown mountain-forest soils of different ages. Methods. Standard geobotanical methods were used to describe the vegetation of the polygons. The granulometric analysis of soils was carried out by the method of dry sieving. Soil density was determined by the cutting cylinder method. Results. The study showed that reclaimed arable land, after being withdrawn from agricultural use, enters into a long process of self-recovery. In the course of a long-term transformation, a noticeable accumulation of humus is observed in fallow brown mountain-forest soils in comparison with adjacent arable lands. In the 20-year-old deposit, the highest content of humus is noted, while there is a decrease in saline and hydrolytic acidity. In fallows, the density of the upper soil horizon decreases, which favorably affects the structure of soils. On brown mountain-forest soils, in a 20-year-old fallow, there is a noticeable increase in the proportion of mesoaggregates (0,25–10 mm), including agronomically valuable ones. The number of micro- (<0,25 mm) and macro-aggregates (>10 mm) decreases, which indicates an improvement in the agronomic properties of fallow soils. The results of dry screening indicate that the fallow period of drained meadow-soddy-gley soils adversely affects their structure.

Prohibition Policies and Environmental Cognition in Disaster-Prone Zones: A Study of Post-Earthquake Agricultural Land Reclamation

Objective: Prohibition policies need to be implemented by farmers who oppose several "legally rational" measures that prohibit land reclamation in disaster-prone zones. This prohibition event occurred during an earthquake on September 28, 2018, at 18.02 WITA with a magnitude of 7.4 (epicenter) at 0.18 South Latitude, 119.85 East Longitude, and a depth of 10 Km. After the earthquake, the tsunami hit the west coast of Palu Bay and Donggala Regency. According to data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), which covers an area of +/- 200.4 hectares, liquefaction, downlights, and landslides occurred in several locations, including Palu City. Apart from defending their ancestral lands, liquefaction victims benefited from an improved quality of life thanks to their persistence in remaining in the Petobo area. It significantly influences how people engage with their environment and is highly tied to the time variable. In this case, activity patterns and environmental conditions, and these patterns interact over a predetermined period (Barker, 1968). Patterns of human activity in space can change depending on the day, week, or season. Methods: This study examines environmental cognition during the 2017 agricultural land era before and after the crisis using a qualitative descriptive technique and a mental map approach. Conclusion: Information about people's views and attitudes towards post-disaster agricultural land conditions is essential to answer research questions about the prohibition of returning land to disaster-prone zones. Since some farming businesses have had to close, it is necessary to understand land boundaries.

Urban development induced subsidence in deltaic environments: A case study in Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi has experienced rapid urbanisation over the last few decades, putting intense pressure on its natural resources, such as groundwater, but also on the local authorities to meet demand for infrastructure, housing and public amenities. Recent studies using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) measured rates of subsidence in Hanoi documenting the evolution of the subsiding areas. These studies have primally attributed the high rates of subsidence to the increased extraction of groundwater. In this study we use Sentinel 1 InSAR data for six years between July 2015 and January 2021 to examine subsidence patterns across Hanoi and link them to the development of urban areas. We find that although groundwater extraction undoubtedly plays a significant role, there is a clear spatial and temporal link between new development and the areas of subsidence. The use of historical optical satellite imagery allows the evolution of the development to be linked to the InSAR ground motion time series. A correlation exists between subsidence and the reclamation of agricultural land, often flooded rice fields, for building via the dumping of aggregate to create dry, raised areas on which to build. We illustrate our findings with examples where newly developed areas are co-incident with areas of subsidence, we show the relationships between the stages of the ground loading and the rate of the resulting subsidence. Ultimately, we extract rates of motion for each year following ground loading. The collected rates of subsidence for over 40 locations of new development allows us to determine the rates of subsidence due to the consolidation process. This relationship enables an understanding of subsidence rate with time which has clear applications in the planning of future developments on thick superficial geological deposits.

Crop Classification and Growth Monitoring in Coal Mining Subsidence Water Areas Based on Sentinel Satellite

In high groundwater level mining areas, subsidence resulting from mining can lead to waterlogging in farmland, causing damage to crops and affecting their growth and development, thereby affecting regional food security. Therefore, it is necessary to restore agricultural production in the coal mining subsidence water areas in the densely populated eastern plains. This study focuses on the Yongcheng coal mining subsidence water areas. It utilizes Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data from May to October in the years 2019 to 2022 to monitor the growth and development of crops. The results demonstrated that (1) the accuracy of aquatic crops categorization was improved by adjusting the elevation of the study region with Mining Subsidence Prediction Software (MSPS 1.0). The order of accuracy for classifying aquatic crops using different machine learning techniques is Random Forest (RF) > Classification and Regression Trees (CART) ≥ Support Vector Machine (SVM). Using the RF method, the obtained classification results can be used for subsequent crop growth monitoring. (2) During the early stages of crop growth, when vegetation cover is low, the Radar Vegetation Index (RVI) is sensitive to the volume scattering of crops, making it suitable for tracking the early growth processes of crops. The peak RVI values for crops from May to July are ranked in the following order: rice (2.595), euryale (2.590), corn (2.535), and lotus (2.483). (3) The order of crops showing improved growth conditions during the mid-growth stage is as follows: rice (47.4%), euryale (43.4%), lotus (27.6%), and corn (4.01%). This study demonstrates that in the Yongcheng coal subsidence water areas, the agricultural reclamation results for the grain-focused model with rice as the main crop and the medicinal herb-focused model with euryale as the main crop are significant. This study can serve as a reference for agricultural management and land reclamation efforts in other coal subsidence water areas.

Disaster vulnerability and flood management policy framework in the Himalayas

The Himalayas are one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world and have experienced an increasing number of disasters, particularly floods in recent years that have hampered the socio-economic development in the region. Flood management policies are key in mitigating and managing disasters and are an important part of disaster risk reduction. In the present study, we discuss the disaster vulnerability and policy framework in the North-Western Himalayas, with a focus on the flooding in the Kashmir Valley, which is one of the most vulnerable regions in the Himalayas. Kashmir has a long history of flooding that has affected society and the environment on a wide scale. However, flood management began at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The present work explores the primary sources to make a historical analysis of flood management in Kashmir. The study provides an in-depth analysis of the important policies and proposals for flood management in the region. It discusses the top priorities established by various flood management suggestions and examines how the focus was given to Srinagar city and the reclamation of agricultural land while neglecting other areas. The study highlights the failure of the flood management plans and why the problem of flood management persists in the Kashmir Valley. The study also discusses the vulnerability of the Kashmir Valley to floods and the resultant causes.

An Econometric Analysis of the Factors Affecting Sustainable Agricultural Development in Iraq for the period (1990-2020)

Agricultural investments, agricultural capital accumulations and average per capita agricultural product are considered as important factors in raising levels of sustainable agricultural development, and it is important to quantify the relationship among these factors. The study aimed to measure the impact of some factors affecting sustainable agricultural development in Iraq. The variables used in this study are agricultural investment, accumulated agricultural capital and the average per capita agricultural product as independent variables, while sustainable agricultural development represents the dependent variable. The data for these variables are the time series covered the period from 1990 to 2020 obtained from Ministry of Planning - Central Statistical Organization (COS), Statistical Group for the years (1990-2020). The Johansen's cointegration method was used to estimate the long-run equilibrium relationship among the study variables, and the Toda-Yamamato methodology was used to test the causality. The results showed the weak levels of sustainable agricultural development in Iraq during the period (1990-2020), as it did not exceed (0.160), and the reason for this may be due to the failure of most development indicators to keep pace with the increase in population as well as the unstable political and security conditions that faced Iraq during this period. Also, there is a long-run equilibrium relationship among these variables, as an average per capita agricultural product can causes the sustainable agricultural in the long-run, which requires the Ministry of Agricultural to promote the agricultural sector and pay more attention to the agricultural product, which seems to be one of the sources of sustainable agricultural development in the long-run. The research also recommends encouraging agricultural investments and overcoming obstacles towards targeted investments to promote the agricultural sector, especially investment in agricultural land reclamation, encouraging agricultural workers to maintain their work.

Growth of aridity and development of integrated land reclamation in the Republic of Tatarstan

Subject. The article addresses problems of organization of efficient and stable agricultural production in conditions of climate aridity in the Volga region. Objectives. The aim is to review the current state of the land reclamation industry in the Republic of Tatarstan, to elaborate recommendations for its further development. Methods. The study employs methods of comparison, systematization, and generalization of data. Results. We investigated the dynamics of agrometeorological data for 2006–2020 in the Republic of Tatarstan and revealed a trend towards an increase in climate aridity in the Volga region. The assessment of economic efficiency of irrigated agriculture enabled to state that potato yield increases by four times due to irrigation. Watering perennial crops helps provide the livestock industry with a reliable feed base. Conclusions. Despite the high economic efficiency of agricultural land reclamation, the number of agricultural producers introducing it into production activities remains low due to the high cost of restoration, construction and operation of land reclamation facilities, scarce technical and financial resources at agricultural enterprises.

Reclamation of Saline Agricultural Land

Abstract: The sustainability of (irrigated) agriculture in India is threatened by waterlogging, soil salinity, and alkalinity. To reverse declining agricultural productivity, a combination of surface and subsurface drainage, supplemented by improved irrigation management, has been identified as the most appropriate strategy. But subsurface drainage for salinity control is costly. Therefore, its sustained agricultural production benefits must be thoroughly investigated to establish its technoeconomic feasibility. The present study attempts to do this by analysing the cost of installing subsurface drainage, the direct onfarm benefits of subsurface drainage, and the financial feasibility of subsurface drainage. The study site selected for this study is Uran Islampur (Maharashtra State). The results say land use will intensify if drainage is installed because a sizeable area of formerly fallow land was brought under cultivation. It also says that the cropping pattern will be changed in favour of more remunerative crops, and crop yields will increase. These immediate gains from drainage are helping to increase land productivity, gainful employment of the farmers and, hence, farm income. The financial and economic feasibility of drainage in waterlogged and saline areas looks favourable, provided that sufficient water is available for leaching and irrigation and that a sustainable solution for the disposal of the low-quality drainage effluent is found. Concerning the latter, creating ponds to store drainage effluent temporarily is technically possible while not threatening the financial feasibility of the investment in drainage.

The Influential Factors of the Habitat Quality of the Red-crowned Crane: A Case Study of Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, China

In order to effectively protect the habitat of cranes, this study constructs an indicator evaluation system based on the ecology–economy–society complex system and adopts the comprehensive “entropy weight method and analytic hierarchy process” evaluation model and coupled coordination model to scientifically measure the degree of coordinated development of the EES system in Yancheng. Further, a negative binomial regression model based on LASSO was used to analyze the key factors affecting the habitat quality of red-crowned cranes, and a support vector regression model was used to predict the population size of the cranes. The results show that the degree of the coordinated development of the EES system exhibited a fluctuating upward phenomenon, and the population size of the cranes also had a similar evolutionary trend, which indicates that the interaction between the two was significant and that the degree of the coordinated development of the system had a positive impact on the quality of the habitat of the cranes. Three types of ecological indicators (normalized difference vegetation index, annual precipitation, and soil erosion area) and three types of social indicators (natural growth rate, rural Engel coefficient, and public library collection) are the key factors affecting the population size of the cranes. The prediction results of the support vector regression model showed that the population of the cranes showed a fluctuating upward trend during the prediction interval, with a maximum of 952 cranes and an overall growth rate of 69.70%. The population size of the cranes is related to human social activities and the surrounding ecological environment, and the main reason for the decline in the population size of the cranes is the destruction of the local vegetation cover by the rapidly growing population and frequent human activities. Therefore, to improve the habitat quality of the cranes, local government departments need to strengthen the publicity of wildlife conservation, reduce agricultural land reclamation and pesticide pollution, and promote the coordinated development of the EES system in the Yancheng area.

Protected habitats support bats in Mediterranean dry grasslands

The replacement of natural habitats by urbanization and agricultural land reclamation is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. Among European habitat types, natural grasslands are particularly prone to anthropogenic pressures, being also recognized as conservation priorities within the Habitats Directive. Nonetheless, little is known on the relationship between grasslands, their conservation quality, and most animals' taxa that may rely upon them. Here we focus on the role of Mediterranean dry grasslands protected by the EU legislation in sustaining bat populations, setting our study in the biodiversity hotspot of Mediterranean Italy. By conducting acoustic surveillance at 48 sites within a protected area devoted to conserve natural and semi-natural grasslands, we found that all the bat species found in the area are regular exploiters of such open environments. Grassland conservation quality, in terms of extent of high-diversity protected habitats, was the key factor shaping the use of grasslands by bats of all the considered guilds, together with several terrain and landscape features, which showed more guild-specific effects. Moreover, our results indicate that bat assemblages are functionally shifted along an ecological gradient from highly modified to well-conserved grassland sites, indicating a prevalence of opportunistic taxa in the former, and higher abundance of species of conservation concern in the latter. Overall, we demonstrate that the effects of EU-listed habitats may extend also onto bats in the case of Mediterranean dry grasslands, highlighting the importance of preserving such habitats as a tool for conserving highly mobile species.

Орошаемое луговодство и лизиметрические исследования в Федеральном научном центре кормопроизводства и агроэкологии имени В.Р. Вильямса (К 85-летию Б.И. Короткова)

Agricultural land reclamation is of great importance in the creation and life of grass ecosystems. Even V.R. Williams in his book "Meadow Farming" (1901) wrote about the need for reclamation of meadows by drainage and irrigation, which is a necessary condition for obtaining high and stable yields. In 1969, an irrigation system on an area of 85 hectares was put into operation at the V.R. Williams Forage Research Institute, and in 1970 — a drainage system (closed drainage) on an area of 25 hectares. After the organization of the problem laboratory of "Irrigated Meadow Farming" in 1970, senior researcher and later the head of the laboratory B.I. Korotkov conducted research here on the study of irrigation regimes of hayfields and pastures. He was born on February 20, 1938 in the village of Mordviny, Kovrovsky district, Vladimir region. After graduating from school, he studied in 1955–1960 at the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy (TAA) with a degree in "Scientist agronomist" and worked for 5 years as an agronomist-meadow farmer of the Vladimir Meliovodstroy Trust. In 1965–1968, B.I. Korotkov entered and successfully graduated from the graduate school of the TAA, defended his PhD thesis on the topic "The experience of using irrigated by sprinkling cultural pastures in the Non-Chernozem zone". Together with his teacher, the famous scientist N.G. Andreev, B.I. Korotkov developed the topic of irrigation of pastures and hayfields of the Non-Chernozem region, including in combination with other methods of intensification of forage lands, developed criteria for pre-irrigation soil moisture, determined the capacity of the active water exchange layer, irrigation and irrigation norms. The result of their joint scientific activity was the book "Irrigated and cultural pastures" (1979), which summarizes the experience and achievements of science in our country and abroad. B.I. Korotkov made a significant contribution to the development of science and practice of irrigated meadow farming. He is the author of more than 100 scientific papers.

Biological reclamation of disturbed agricultural lands in the Volgograd Trans-Volga region

Earthworks, such as mining, construction, laying pipes for various purposes and other activities, result in the loss of ecological systems, particularly soil cover integrity. Land reclamation allows for the establishment of a fertile soil layer, soil structure, and the accumulation of humus and other nutrients up to the level of fertility that existed before the violation. The article presents a comparative analysis of the main indicators of soil fertility of agricultural lands (pasture, hayfield, arable land) in its natural state and in the disturbed one caused by the overhaul of the main gas pipeline. The purpose of the research conducted in 2020 was in the dry-steppe zone of chestnut soils of the Volgograd region to analyze the indicators of fertility of agricultural lands that are in their natural state and subject to reclamation with an estimation of restoration costs. To characterize the level of soil fertility, the main indicators of fertility have been considered: particle size distribution, content of organic matter (humus), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S) and pH, which reliably characterized soil fertility in the given soil-climatic conditions of the dry steppe zone of the Volgograd region. As a result of the estimation, it was found that the cost of restoring 1 ha of arable land made 2607.13 euro, and the cost of restoring 1 ha of pasture (haymaking) reached 2096.62 euro.

Numerical Simulation of Soil Water–Salt Dynamics and Agricultural Production in Reclaiming Coastal Areas Using Subsurface Pipe Drainage

Soil salinization induced by shallow saline groundwater in coastal areas can be managed using subsurface pipe drainage (SPD) for agricultural land reclamation. However, a reasonable SPD system layout should comprehensively consider local hydrological conditions and crop physiological characteristics based on long-term model evaluations. The objectives of this study were to test the applicability of a crop growth model (AquaCrop) for simulating winter wheat growth in SPD-applied fields by employing the water table behaviors predicted by the soil hydrologic model HYDRUS. Model calibration and validation based on field observations suggested that HYDRUS accurately predicted the distributions of soil water–salt dynamics, and the seasonal variations of canopy cover and biomass production predicted by AquaCrop were close to the measured values. The simulation scenarios considering the long-term effect of groundwater salinity (10.53, 21.06, and 31.59 g L−1 for low, medium, and high levels), drain spacing (10, 20, 30, 40 m, and no-SPD), and precipitation category (dry, normal, and wet year) on soil solute transport, grain yield (GY), water productivity (WP), and groundwater supply (GS) were further explored using a combination of HYDRUS and AquaCrop. The simulation results indicated that narrowing the drain spacing could improve the desalination performance of SPD, but there was no continuous downward trend of soil solute concentration during the long-term application of SPD when groundwater salinity was constant. The SPD application could improve grain yield by 0.81–1.65 t ha−1, water productivity by 0.13–0.35 kg m−3, and groundwater supply by 6.06–31.03 mm compared to the no-SPD scenarios, but such increases would be less pronounced in dry years with groundwater salinity at the low level. This study demonstrated that the co-application of hydrologic and crop growth models is a feasible method for revealing the effects of SPD on agricultural land reclamation in coastal areas.

РОЗВИТОК НАУКОВОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ВОДНИХ МЕЛІОРАЦІЙ НА ЗРОШУВАНИХ ЗЕМЛЯХ УКРАЇНИ: ІСТОРІОГРАФІЯ ПЕРІОДУ НЕЗАЛЕЖНОСТІ

It was established that during the period of Ukraine’s independence, historiography began to play the role of an integration factor, maintaining the appropriate level of scientific knowledge, preserving and supplementing the methodological apparatus of modern historical science. It has been found that in recent decades, a number of meaningful scientific works have been published, which contain systematized factual material on the development of scientific support for water reclamation on irrigated lands of Ukraine, a thorough analysis of scientific technologies and their theoretical generalizations. It was determined that the historical works of the period of Ukraine’s independence are characterized by the multi-facetedness and content of generalizations, the objectivity of approaches to the study of the evolution of the scientific-organizational foundations of the use of water resources for land irrigation. Historical works highlight the evolution of certain scientific directions, theories, concepts and technologies regarding the improvement of water reclamation in agrarian production on irrigated lands; development of scientific foundations of effective management of water resources for agricultural land reclamation; the contribution of higher education institutions, and scientific-research institutions and research teams to the development of scientific technologies for the conservation and balanced use of water resources in irrigated farming; the evolution of the working and practical implementation of water reclamation on irrigated lands in the context of the activities of well-known agrarian scientists of Ukraine. It was established that at the beginning of the 21st century, thanks to the cooperation of Ukrainian and foreign scientists, the working and implementation of innovative technologies for the ecologically safe use of water and land resources gained significant development and has great prospects, especially in conditions of climate change. An own position has been formed regarding the choice of the most accurate and scientifically based reflection of the historical development of scientific support for water reclamation on irrigated lands of Ukraine, which is updated in the conditions of global challenges and threats today.

Modern salinity leaching technology of agricultural land reclamation (A case study from Bukhara region, Uzbekistan)

This article discusses the impact of the development of water-saving salinity leaching technology on the conditions of meadow-alluvial, moderately saline and medium sandy soils of Bukhara oasis according to its mechanical composition using Biosolvent compounds and the impact of the scientifically based irrigation regime on the reclamation regime of irrigated lands. In a saline-washed field with a Biosolvent combination, the Bukhara-102 variety of Gossypium received irrigation soil moisture at the beginning of vegetation when watered at 70-80-65 percent compared to LFMC, the amount of chlorine in the active (0-100 cm) layer of soil is 0,008%, the amount of sulfate is 0,036% and the amount of dry residue is 0,204% by the end of the growing season, these values are 0.020; 0.047 and 0.350%, with a seasonal salt accumulation coefficient of 2.37; 1.3; 1.72 respectively and compared to the control variant, it decreases by 0,50; 0,20; 0,13 and its yield is 40.5 cwt·ha-1, with an additional 3.9 cwt·ha-1 of cotton yield compared to the control, which allows to save 53.7 cbm of river water used for growing 1 cwt cotton yield.

Improving the assessment of agricultural land reclamation condition using GIS based on the interdependence of the factors impact

Land used for agriculture is critical in Uzbekistan and throughout the world. Land reclamation is assessed using a variety of traditional approaches. The creation of land reclamation assessment methods is becoming more common as a result of the usage of modern geoinformation technologies and their better methodology. The levels of mineralization in the groundwater level, as well as NDVI and NDSI analysis, were determined for the three months of 2020 and 2021 - April, July, and November - in the irrigated lands of the Yuqiri chirchik, Urtachirchik, and Quyichirchik districts of the Tashkent region, which were used as the research object. These data were reclassified in ArcGIS software, and fields were defined by values. Their correlation was determined based on the results provided above. It was determined that plant vegetation is dependent on the salinity and mineralization of seepage waters, i.e., a decrease in seepage water mineralization and a drop in salinity are directly associated to an increase in plant vegetation, and vice versa.