Purpose: to analyze the reclamation complex status, to identify the reasons for its decline and to establish the prospects for its development.
Materials and methods. In preparing the article, the materials obtained from publicly available sources were used. The results were processed using Microsoft Excel software according to generally accepted methods.
Results. Over the past 35 years, the total area of irrigated land has decreased by 22.5 %, including irrigated areas, which have decreased by 30.1 %, while drained ones – by 14.9 %. The ecological state of the lands has also changed. The share of land in unsatisfactory condition accounts for 27.7 % of the area of reclaimed lands (irrigated – 19.2 %, drained – 36.2 %). The main reasons for declining crop yields on irrigated lands are: soil degradation, insufficient irrigation water, a shortage of qualified personnel, wear and tear on sprinkler equipment and irrigation systems in general, the high cost of irrigation measures and irrigation organization costs, and a lack of scientific support and scientifically sound cultivation technologies for specific natural and climatic conditions.
Conclusions. Eliminating or reducing the impact of these factors on irrigated lands will increase the productivity of the irrigated wedge and will have a positive impact on the development of land reclamation as a whole. The measures implemented by the Government of the Russian Federation as part of the State Program for the Effective Involvement of Agricultural Land in the Turnover and the Development of Land Reclamation Complex of the Russian Federation make it possible to restore and return up to 500,000 hectares of reclaimed land per year to agricultural use.
land reclamation complex, irrigated lands, drained lands, ecological status, crop yield, involvement of land in the turnover
Babichev A. N. Land reclamation complex: current status, problems and prospects. Ways of Increasing the Efficiency of Irrigated Agriculture. 2026;98(1):43–56. (In Russ.).
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