Limiting Factors and Environmental Adaptability for Staple Crops in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Population growth increases the threat to global food security. Kazakhstan, a major agricultural nation, has made significant contributions to world food security; however, a wide gap exists between its food yield and that of other major crop-producing countries. Increasing food productivity in Kazakhstan through enhancing the utilization of natural endowments under existing cropland conditions would help alleviate global food pressure. Therefore, we elucidated the factors restricting Kazakhstan’s food productivity and proposed reasonable countermeasures. We analyzed the food production structure based on yearbooks. Correlation and stepwise regression were conducted on crop yield potential factors. The states of Kazakhstan were classified by hierarchical cluster and agronomic characteristics were evaluated using normalized scores. Wheat (60.3%), barley (14.9%), and potatoes (16%) are the main food crops produced in Kazakhstan. The ideal regional environment-based geographical crop configuration is “Northern—Wheat, Southern—Barley and Wheat, and Western—Potatoes.” The key limiting factors of wheat yield are water shortage and soil alkalization, while for barley, it is soil alkalization. The current planting distribution in Kazakhstan is suboptimal. Water-saving irrigation and agricultural runoff, staple crop planting layout optimization, organic fertilizer promotion, drought-resistant crop variety cultivation, and agricultural technology training must be prioritized to overcome crop yield constraints in Kazakhstan.

Global Assessment of Groundwater Stress Vis-à-Vis Sustainability of Irrigated Food Production

“…A spatial rearrangement of food production in these regions could ensure sustainable water availability. However, water is not the only factor for agricultural production, rather it is also constrained by other factors such as land availability, land suitability and climatic conditions [49,50]. The results of this study, which identify potential hotspot areas of overexploitation, have important implications for national and international governance of water resources, and can help identify dependence on groundwater, thereby ensuring a more sustainable redistribution of demand.…”

Economic model of development of the feed crop-growing industry in the Republic of Kazakhstan

“…The primary food crops cultivated in Kazakhstan are wheat (60.3%), barley (14.9%), and potatoes (16%), as reported by D. Wang et al (2022). Water scarcity and soil alkalinity are the primary constraints on wheat yield, whereas soil alkalinity is the main limiting factor for barley.…”

Untitled

“…The primary food crops cultivated in Kazakhstan are wheat (60.3%), barley (14.9%), and potatoes (16%), as reported by D. Wang et al (2022). Water scarcity and soil alkalinity are the primary constraints on wheat yield, whereas soil alkalinity is the main limiting factor for barley.…”