REPORT ON THE KURA-ARAKS EXPEDITION OF THE USSR SOIL INSTITUTE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600330692-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 29, 2011
• Sequence Number: 692
• Publication Date: August 10, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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'QNFtDENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENPIAL
DATE DIST. / Aug 1950
NO. OF PAGES 3
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT Scientific - Academy of Sciences, expedition
HOW
PUBLISHED Monthly periodical.
WHERE
PUBLISHED Moscow
DATE
PUBLISHED Feb 1950
LANGUAGE Russian
THIS DOCUNINT CONTAINS INFORMATION A//ICTINS TIII NATIONAL OvIOR
IN TNl NIANINI OF ISFIONASI ACT IO
OF TN[ UMIT[0 ITAT[S TII7N
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1115179D DT LAW. Nl?lODUCTION OF THIS posts IS FRONISITIO,
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
Vestnik Akademii Nauk SSSR, No 2, 1950?
REPORT ON THE KURA-ARAKS EXPEDITION OF THE USSR SOIL INSTITUTE
The Kura-Araks expedition of the Soil Institute, Academy of Sciences
USSR, has finally concluded the regional soil-improvement investigation in
the entire Kura-Araks depression, which had been progress sincoflsoi.
properties
Later, stationary investigations of the hydrophysinap
and observation of the water-salt regime will be conducted.
The Kura-Araks depression, covering a territory of approximately 2 mil-
lion hectares, is a most unusual area. In amount ofchheat eatnand.sunlightritvis
one of the best regions of the USSR. Even types of
soil consists
improvement salty
o and economic
hot weather will grow here. half
Therefore,, region
u* which ionly halophytes will grow
utilization of the region for further development of socialistic agriculture
in Azerbaydzhan SSR is an obvious necessity.
The aims of the expedition were to determine the reasons for the salti-
ness of the area, to find methods of eliminating it, and also to establish
measures for fioil-improvement in the depression. Azerbaydzhan scientific re-
search organizations (Institute of Agrochemistry and Soil Studies ofcthelAcad-
emy of Sciences Azerbaydzhan SSR, Azerbaydzhan Institute for Hydrot
and Melioration, the Azerbaydzh Scientific Research were Institute for Agricul-
ture, and Azvodproyz (planning organizations)
the project. All research work was carried out in close cooperation with the
workers of local experimental stations, particular) with the Mugan Experi-
mental Soil-Improvement Station, and also with agricultural specialists. The
previousfstudies. and eco-
material fromlocal
nommiicl institutions`,eand researchmaterial
The Kura-Araks depression, once bottom of the ancient Caspian Sea, now
lies 28 meters below sea level. Its unusually high saline content stems from
a combination of unusually unfavorable factors -- tectonic geomorphological,
pedological, and climatic. In addition to salts left from the'old Caspian
Sea, salts have accumulated continuously in the ground and topsoil because
.GUI RDENTL L
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the greater part of the depression has no drainage. All surface and ground
waters entering this region disappear almost entirely by evaporation and
transpiration, which during the summer season amounts to 4,000-20,000 cubic
meters per hectare, which naturally increases the salt concentration in the
ground and topsoil.
The ground waters of the Kura-Araks depression frequently contain as
much as 80-120 grams per liter of soluble salt even at a depth of about
100 meters. This high concentration is very harmful to both cultivated and
wild plants.
The expedition investigated the Sal'yansk steppe, Southeast Shirvan',
Southern, Central, and Northern Mugan', the Mil'skaya steppe, and part of
Northern Shirvan'.
The entire territory was covered by the investigation. In all areas,
the expedition investigated soil types, degree and chemistry of their saline
content, depth of salinity, mineral content of ground waters, relation be-
tween ground water, soil processes and salinity, possible run-off or stagna-
tion of ground waters, relation between salty ground waters and surrounding
regions, etc.
The investigations made it evident that the soil cover of the older
parts of the Kura-Araks depression has remained unaffected by the process
of salinification. Although the saline soils lack to a certain extent the
readily soluble salts which are harmful to plants, they do have unfavorable
hydrophysical properties (fine structure), resulting in low fertility. The
expedition investigated methods of increasing the fertility of the dark,
strongly alkaline salts of the depression. Field and laboratory experi-
ments were conducted to determine the effect of root systems of wild and
cultivated grass and of various agrotechnical methods upon the strongly
alkaline soils. The laboratory experiments showed that the meliorative
action of grass roots is highly effective in improving these soils.
Simultaneously, soil solutions of highly fertile, improved soils were
studied to determine the best medium for root systems of cultivated plants,
and especially to establish the most favorable concentrations of soil solu-
tions for cotton. In addition, the mechanism of salt accumulation in soils
and ground waters, and the exchange of salt between topsoils and the levels
were clarified by a study of the dynamics of soil solutions. A detailed
study of interaction of salt deposits of surface and deeper salt-bearing
levels is necessary to organize the problem of desalinification of soil
with the help of thQ Dokuchayev-Kostychev-Vil'yams agrotechnical system.
Special laboratory experiments were begun with dyed salt solutions in
models of the soil and subsoil. These experiments demonstrated the elimi-
nation of salt deposits from various depths by means of different drainage
systems, the influence of various sources of readily soluble salts upon the
process of their accumulation in soils and ground waters of the depression,
the influence of various hydrotechnical constructions upon the state of
highly mineralized ground waters at deep levels, and thus helped in design-
ing the most effective drainage systems and melioration constructions.
The model tests organized by the expedition were filmed and will be
shown to soil improvement and, hydrotechnical specialists engaged in planning
work.
The data of the studies and the preliminary conclusions were immediately
turned over to planning organizations for utilization in preparing technical
plans for improvement of the region.
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The first results of the expedition's studies have already been uti
lized in. the preparation of irrigation and soil-improvement projects in north-
ern Mugan'. Subsequently, plans for the rest. of the depression will be pre-
pared. The entire plan for soil-improvement and irrigation of the depression
will be drawn up by planning organizations before completion of the Mingechaur
dam, which is to store the waters of the Kura and Araks rivers at present flow-
ing into the Caspian Sea without being utilized for irrigation purposes.
The expedition is studying the valuable experience of the Mugan' Experi-
mental Soil Improvement Station. The drainage method used by this station to
remove salt from the marshes was extraodinarily successful. Complete desalini-
fication of salt marshes and the creation of a flourisiiing oasis were acco-
plished over an area of 700 hectares. For several years, this oasis has pro-
duced gardens, vineyards, and large crops of valuable commercial plants. This
experiment bears witness to the tremendous potentialities in the Kura-Araks
depression for the application of soil improvement complexes which have been
developed by Soviet science and socialist agriculture.
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