The publication of this Handbook was supported by the Russian Federation

Technology 3. The creation of winter fodder reserve stocks and the 
improvement of animal feed systems by the use of halophytes
A large-scale intraspecies and interspecies selection of  halophytes has been conducted by the 
authors in cooperation with colleagues from the Institute of  Karakul Sheep Breeding and Desert 
Ecology Research (Uzbekistan). As a result, there are 15 selected halophyte species and ecotypes 
that can be grown on soils affected by secondary salinization due to irrigation water salinity and can 
prospectively be used in bioamelioration, production of  calorie-rich fodders and the pharmaceutical 
industry. These species include Suaeda arcuata, S. acuminata, S. paradoxa, Atriplex hortensis, Climacoptera 
lanata, Chenopodium album, Salsola orientalis, Salicornia sp., Kochia scoparia, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Artemisia 
halodendron, etc. The selected halophyte species can produce 10-12 tonnes of  dry matter of  fodder, 
1-1.5 tonnes of  seed and generally up to 1.5 tonnes of  protein per hectare of  sandy soil irrigated 
with saline water (Fig. 5.4.3).
The main technological operations applied to Artemisia-ephemeroid communities on Typical 
Brown Semidesert, Chestnut and Dark Chestnut soils of  piedmont deserts of  the Nurat Mountains 
are timed as follows: Early Spring – tillage of  soil strips 12-50 m wide to a depth of  16-18 cm with 
direction of  furrows being perpendicular to the direction of  prevailing winds; May-June – soil 
tillage to a depth from 6 to 8 cm depending in the degrees of  weed growth and soil compaction; 
Autumn (November) and winter (December-February) – sowing of  various fodder crops including 
small shrubs, annual and perennial grasses, often with snow cover still present, which helps the 
seeds to undergo natural stratification and produce viable seedlings for when freshwater is present 
in abundance (autumn rain and later snow melt water cause a natural leaching of  salts from the 
upper soil layers).
http://drylandsystems.cgiar.org/news-opinion/2015-review-combating-land-degradation-and-climate-change-
central-asia

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Chapter 5.Innovative methods and technologies for amelioration of salt-affected soils and agroforestry practices in marginal landscapes