Erosion dynamics and mitigation strategies for sloping terrains: A study from Chui Valley of Kyrgyzstan

¹ Kyrgyz State Technical University named after I. Razzakov, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
² la-Too International University, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
³ Kyrgyz Scientific Research Institute of Irrigation, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
⁴ Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University named after B. Yeltsin, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

^* Corresponding author: urmat.tynaliev@alatoo.edu.kg

Abstract

The goal of this study was to study the soil loss caused by irrigation and rain run-off on sloping landscapes in Chui Valley of Kyrgyzstan and offering the erosion control and customized irrigation methods. We investigated soil moisture levels on sloped terrains to devise effective furrow irrigation strategies, analyzing moisture contours at various stages within furrows across different experimental setups using Dospekhov’s method. Our research results of the erosion-prone areas in the foothill zone of the Chui Valley has revealed that the primary causes of irrigation erosion are improper implementation of reclamation measures, inadequate agrotechnical methods for irrigated lands, unregulated water usage, poor irrigation quality, absence of emergency discharges, and a mismatch between irrigation equipment and methods with the region's natural and economic conditions. Soil erosion can cause significant damage to agricultural production and negatively impact land productivity. Our hypothesis that the steeper the slope, the higher the nutrient loss from the soil was supported by our experiments. This, in turn, has a detrimental effect on the living standards of the rural population, whose material well-being relies heavily on irrigated farming.