Conservation Agriculture as an Integrated System Approach to Sustainable Land Management
摘要
Based on World Bank, 2024 assessment report titled Air Quality Assessment for Tashkent and the Roadmap for Air Quality Management Improvement in Uzbekistan shows that annual average PM₂.₅ levels in Tashkent exceed WHO guidelines by over six times. Main contributors are heating (28%), transport (16%), industry (13%), and dust (36%). According to the State of the Environment report, around 70% of pastures in Uzbekistan are degraded. Land degradation is driven by overgrazing, salinization of irrigation lands, industrial pollution, and improper land management. The irrational use of land resources and the mismanagement of agriculture lead to land degradation. Consequently, it negatively affects productivity. Therefore, one of the methods to address the following problems is to apply an integrated system approach to sustainable land management as Conservation Agriculture (minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotation). This sustainable farming system both protects the environment and maximizes crop production, without increasing the cost of agricultural expenses.