Water Quality, Cropping and Small Rumminants: Future Agriculture in Dry Areas of Uzbekistan

Abstract

Water samples taken along Zerafshan River and its tributaries (canals and collectors) were analyzed by ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The dissolved solids in Zerafshan River water include major cations, major anions, trace elements, and radionuclides. The analysis demonstrated that water quality in the river and canals in the area of alluvial fan around Samarkand is significantly different than that in the lower reaches in Kyzylkum Desert. These differences are in the concentrations of almost all ions, dissolved metals and salinity. It is presumed that pollutants are released mostly to the lower part of Zerafshan River from numerous sources. Typical sources are municipal wastewater, manufacturing industries, mining, and rural irrigation and agricultural cultivation. IN the created environments there is need to carefully optimize the grain production and the meat production from small ruminants and to balance available natural resources for a sustainable future of agriculture in Uzbekistan. Research activities in this case are also to be focused on monitoring of water quality and effectively management of scares water resources in the arid/semiarid zones.