The publication of this Handbook was supported by the Russian Federation

Technology 1. Diversification of  salt-resistant agricultural crops 
and methods for increasing the productivity of  plant and animal 
husbandry to enhance the living standards of  farmers.
Practical application and integration of  different farming practices on salt-affected and degraded 
lands results in the diversification of  agricultural crop production, which helps to produce more 
food and increase farmers’ income. It has been demonstrated by many national and regional 
projects within the framework of  the ICBA-CAT Programme that cultivation of  high-yield, salt-, 
drought- and frost-tolerant varieties of  cereals, pulses, fodders and other crops is a very effective 
measure for the improvement of  properties of  salt-affected soils and respective increases in crop 
yields. Farmers are also interested in diversification and the introduction of  new crop varieties, 
which are resistant to pests, droughts and water/soil salinity and can be grown on marginal lands.

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Chapter 5.Innovative methods and technologies for amelioration of salt-affected soils and agroforestry practices in marginal landscapes 
The following crop species have shown the best growth results on marginal lands: sorghum, African 
millet,  triticale,  sesame,  quinoa,  amaranth,  Jerusalem  artichoke,  globe  artichoke,  peas,  mung 
beans, saltbush and Kochia spp. These species are grown as pure or mixed cultures, main crops or 
secondary crops after wheat harvest or in rotations with rice or cotton. Experiments in growing 
these crop species on arable and livestock farms in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan 
and Azerbaijan have shown that they are highly nutritious foods with high production of  green 
biomass and high yields of  seed, which can successfully be grown on salt-affected clayey and sandy 
soils, which are otherwise unsuitable for the profitable cultivation of  wheat or cotton.
Moreover, many non-traditional crop varieties are adaptable to saline irrigation water. The most 
acceptable salt composition of  irrigated water includes those types that are dominated by sulphate 
and bicarbonate anions and magenesium and calcium cations. The presence of  calcium carbonate 
and gypsum in soil can partly mitigate problems arising from the use of  saline irrigation water, 
including drainage water (EC = 2.2 dS/m, SAR = 4.8; pH = 7.7-8.3).