1.  Location of demonstration sites and their equipment

 As a whole in three private farms have been selected for every pilot canal at the head, middle-point and the tail of the canal. As SFC is on the territory of two provinces, four private farms have been selected there: one is in Andijan province - at the head of the canal and three in Fergana province (table 1). 

Demonstration sites have been selected within private farms, based on their representativeness for the whole canal's command area. As a whole 10 demonstration sites cover various zones of Fergana Valley

Demonstration sites have been provided with measuring facilities and equipment in order to observe over irrigation water use and its distribution, all agrotechnical measures, growth and development of plants:

- water meters (SANIIRI flumes, water weirs, Chipolletty, Thompson) for metering irrigation water discharge;

- observation wells to control ground water level;

- evaporators «Atmometers» (ET gage) made in USA for measuring evaporation on irrigated field;

- soil augers, counter balance and drying boxes for measuring soil moisture and assessing their nutrients.

2. Natural and Climatic conditions

Fergana Valley's provinces are characterized by different altitudes. This influences on soil-reclamation conditions of the area. Osh province, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan covers the major part of foothill zone, adyry hills and partially zaadyry and inter-adyry hollows. Selected private farms are in foothill zone and adyry hills zone. Altitudes come to from 500 to 800 m above sea level (table 2).

Climate of the given zone is sharply continental. Zone appropriateness of climatic fluctuations is characteristic for foothill regions. Air temperature and precipitation distribution is depended on relief and altitude. Altitude impacts especially in warm months of the year, when the higher altitude, the lower air temperature. Relief influences profoundly on air temperature distribution in winter. In 2001 average annual precipitation came to 396 mm - on weather station «Osh» and 460 mm on «Papan», average temperature 5°- 8°.

According to soil conditions investigated territory is situated in South-Kyrgyz soil-climatic province, in Aravan-Kurshab soil district.

Pilot sites «Nursultan-Aly» of rural administration Zhapalak and «Sandyk» of rural administration Mangyt are located on typical sierozem, medium–light-eroded, medium loam.

Sogd province is in the northern part of Tajikistan and has complicated configuration. The major part of province territory is mountains. The Fergana Valley is located between Kuramin and Turkestan mountain ranges, the part of the valley is in Sogd province territory.

The general climatic peculiarities of the province are high summer temperature and aridity, great fluctuations in daily and seasonal temperatures. Average temperature in January ranges from -2,5° to +2°. These districts are characterized by long summer with average temperature in July about 30°.

Precipitations fall mainly in winter and spring. Summer is arid. There are almost no precipitations during July-September. Annual precipitation total is from 100 mm to 200 mm. Frost-free period is 210-250 days. The province is characterized by intensive wind conditions, that brings to great soil siccation, and low precipitation doesn't provide necessary soil moisture volume especially in cotton-growing regions. Soil surface of the province is extremely variegated – from grey-brown sierozem in valleys to steppe soils in high mountains. Pilot farms D/Kh-21 and Sayed are located on grey-brown sierozem, farm Gadoyboev is located on typical sierozem.

Fergana and Andijan provinces are in the central part of Fergana Valley covering the major part of plain zone, adyry hills, zaadyry and inter-adyry hollows. Private farms of Fergana province in the Republic of Uzbekistan cover mainly inter-adyry hollows (farms Turdiali, Khozhalkhon-ona-Khozhi and Tolibzhon, sloping plains (farm Nozima). Altitudes are from 400 to 500 m above sea level. Climatic features of the province are high summer temperature and aridity, great fluctuations in daily and seasonal temperatures. Average temperature ranges from -2,5° to +2° in January and within 25-27° in summer.

It is typical that precipitations falls in winter and spring and summer is dry. Practically, there is no precipitation in July-September. Annual precipitation is within 200 mm.

Development of light sierozem, non-saline fresh ground water are typical for zones where farms are located.

3.  Soil Properties.

Soil is a determinant of irrigation planning and water allocation to irrigated field.

Soil conditions differ greatly from each other especially between provinces. Soil conditions in farms in Sogd province are characterized first of all by thin surface melkozem and underlain grounds. Surface melkozem in farm Samatov Br.№21  is 0,5-0,7 m. and composed of light loam and underlain by thick pebble sediments. Surface melkozem in farm Sayed is lower than 0,5m. in depth and consisted of light loam, compounded with pebble and pebble prevails over melkozem. Soil conditions in farm Gadoyboev differ from previous ones, thick surface melkozem is more than 1,5 m. Ground water level in all farms is lower than 5,0 m.

All three sites in Fergana province differ from each other according to soil conditions as well as hydrogeological ones. Thick surface melkozem in farm Khozhalkhon-ona-Khozhi is 0,5-0,7m. and underlain by thick pebble sediments. Irrigation in these land makes difficult by high ground water permeability and non-uniform moistening along the whole length of irrigated site. Farm Nozima has thick surface melkozem and soil is medium and heavy loam. It is a zone of natural ground water decrement bordering with ground water depression area in pebble sediments transient from sloping plains to plain zone. High ground water level is typical for this farm during growing period (1,0-1,5m). Irrigation is difficult in this site, first of all, because of bad land planning. Distinctive feature of farm Turdiali is high ground water level (GWL) during April and GWL is up to 0,6 m. As a result of sufficient ground water recharge, irrigation water use is not substantial during irrigation. This farm is located in ground water decrement zone. Under the influence of both natural water resources and as a result of filtration recharge by Karkidon reservoir, SFC and adyry irrigation, ground water level is high in this zone. This zone is characterized by alternation of loess sediments up to 1,5-3 m. and pebble sediments with thin surface melkozem up to 0,5m. Farm Turdiali is located on loess sediments with surface melkozem 1,5 m. Soil is light loam with increased water permeability. Ground surface has great slopes.

Soil in farm Tolibzhon is light loam with high water permeability and thick surface melkozem. Ground water level is lower than 5 m. Ground surface is related to the zone of very great slopes.

All three sites in Osh province are located in hill zone. Surface of irrigated sites has great slopes. Thus it is natural that it is the main problem in irrigated agriculture. Soil is medium and light loam with high water permeability. Thick fine-grained soil is 0,5 m in farms Toloykon and Nursultan–Aly and mainly stony, underlain by thick pebble sediments. Thick fine-grained soil is 1,5 m and rarely 2-3 m in farm Sandyk. Pilot site «Toloykon-2» is situated on typical sierozem, medium-heavy eroded, medium loam. Ground water level is lower than 5,0 m in this zone. Irrigation is difficult in these sites as a result of relief irregularity. (table 3).