NEW ADVANCES IN SOVIET IRRIGATION FARMING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600380570-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 9, 2011
• Sequence Number: 570
• Publication Date: April 2, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

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INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENT L4L
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT Economic - Agriculture
HOW
PUBLISHED Bimonthly periodical
WHERE
PUBLISHED Moscow
DATE
PUBLISHED Sep/Oct 1950
LANGUAGE
?nit DOCUMENT
UNITED STATIS WITHIN ATHE MEANING S0- IIPONAO/D N THE NATIONAL ACT
0- THE $0
U. S. C.. EI AND SS. AS A11E11010. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE RpILATIOO
CONTENTS 10 ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED IS PRO
or ITS 011111D ST LAW. REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORA IS P000ISITID. ?
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1950
DATE DIST. 2,4009- 1951
NO. OF PAGES 6
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
NEW ADVANCES IN SOVIET IRRIGATION FARMING
Much work has been done during the Stalin Five-Year Plans to develop irri-
gation farming. Millions of hectares of land have been brought under irrigation
in the Central Asiatic republics, Transcaucasus, Kazakhstan, and the grain-grow-
ing steppe regions of the European USSR and Siberia. Postwar projects concerned
with increasing irrigation in agriculture, which have been initiated by decrees
of the party and state, include the following:
1. Five-Year Plan for Rehabilitation and Development of the National Econ-
omy in the Period 1946 - 1950
The Five-Year Plan dealt with the restoration of irrigation systems
which had been destroyed or damaged during the war in the North Caucasus, Ukraine,
Moldavian SSR, and other regions. At the same time, the plan called for an in-
crease of 656,000 hectares in the irrigated area. The plan provided for the
construction of large new irrigation systems: imeni Kirov in Golodnaya Steppe,
Katta-Kurgan Reservoir, Orto-Tokoyskiy Reservoir, Tedzhen Reservoir, Nevinnomyssk
Canal, and systems. for irrigating the Kura-Araks Lowland. -ud the Volga-Akhtuba
bottom land.
2. February 1947 Decision of TsK VKP(b)
This decision called for a considerable expansion of irrigation in the
Central Russian Upland (Kursk, Voronezh, Orel, and Tambov oblasts), Volga Region,
North Caucasus, Crimea, Ukraine, West Siberia, and unirrigated areas of Kazakh
SSR. At the same time new irrigation construction work was being carried out
and an increase in the irrigated area effected in the Central Asiatic republics
and Transcaucasus.
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CQ;NEIDENTIAt
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL ,
Planovoye Khozyaystvo, No 5, 1950.
ARMY AIR IX- E .
Q
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COIFWENT!MI.
CONFIDENTIAL
3, Stalin Transformation of Nature Plan
This plan includes construction of state irrigation systems and of
ponds and reservoirs by kolkhozes. During the period 1949 - 1955, ,
ponds and reservoirs are to be created, Around them, irrigated tracts for
growing grain, industrial, and other crops are to be established,
4. Kuybyshev Hydroelectric Power Plant on the Volga
This plant, to be the largest in the world, is to attain full capac-
ity in 1955, One billion 500 million of the billions of kilowatt-hours of
power which it will produce are to to used for irrigating one million hectares
along the Volga. Thereby, a vast area for growing wheat, sugar beets, oil-
bearing crops, end other crops will be created in the Volga steppes,
5, Stalingrad Hydroelectric Power. Plant on the Volga
This plant is to be built in the period 1951 - 1956. Use of water
from its reservoir will permit utilization of the northern Caspian deserts and
semideserts for livestock raising and farming. Another important development
resulting from the construction of this plant will be the introduction of
irrigation to the Sarpinskaya Lowland and Nogayskaya Steppe, whereby favor-
able conditions for livestock raising and tree planting will be erected, Two
billion kilowatt-hours of the plant's annual production will be required for
irrigation purposes.
Immense irritation systems will have to be built in the Volga and
Caspian regions. A self-flowing trunk canal and other water conduits will
supply water from the reservoir to 6 million hectares in the northern Caspian
region and the region between the Volga and Ural rivers. Other irrigation
systems will supply water to 1,500,000 hectares in the Volga Region, Volga-
Akhtuba bottom, and Caspian Lowland,
6. Main Turkmenian Canal from the Amu-Darya River to Krasnovodsk
Preparatory work for construction of this canal will be begun in
1951, It will draw 350-400 cubic meters of water per second and later possibly
600 cubic meters per second from the Amu-Darya River for irrigating land in
the southern part of the Caspian Depression in western Turkmenia, land around
the lower reaches of the river, and land in the western part of the Kara-Kum
Desert. All water is to be utilized for irrigation and none is to be discharged
into the Caspian Sea. The project will make an area of 1,300,000 hectares suit-
able for cotton growing and up to 7 million hectares of the Kara-Kum Desert
suitable for grazing purposes, Trees will be planted along the main canal and
secondary canals, around industrial enterprises, and around populated places.
7, Kakhovka Hydroelectric Plant on the Dnepr
Construction of this plant and of the South Ukrainian and North Crimean
irrigation canals is also part of the Stalin Transformation of Nature Plan. The
project will permit irrigating 1,500,000 hectares and supplying 1,700,000
hectares in the southern.Ukrair.' and northern Crimea and will result in a consid-
erable increase in cotton and wheat growing and livestock raising.
8. August 1950 Decree Regarding Conversion to New Irrigation System
Based on a study of the experiences of leading kolkhozes and sovkhozes
in Central Asia, the Transcaucasian republics, and the steppe regions of the
European USSR and Siberia, this decree of the Council of Ministers USSR sets
CONFlbENTIA1.
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forth the task of accomplishing during the next 3-4 years a conversion from
permanent irrigation canals to temporary irrigation canals on all kolkhozes
and sovkhozes in all regions where irrigation farming is practiced.
Existing irrigation systems are characterized by a dense network of
canals which cannot be crossed by tractors and agricultural machines. The
distance between canals does not exceed 80-150 meters. Irrigated land is di-
viled intc small tracts measuring 1.5-10 hectares in size. Such small tracts
hinder the productive use of tractors, seeders, cultivators, cotton harvesters,
and other machines,
For example, the Fergana irrigation system in the Fergana Valley of
Uzbek SSR serves an area of 610,000 hectares, but this area is divided into
irrigated tracts measuring only 0.5-2.0.0 hectares. The Khorezm irrigation
system serving an area of 260,000 hectares has irrigated tracts measuring only
4 hectares. Irrigation systems in southern Kirgizia serving 120,000 hectares
have irrigated tracts of only 1.5 to 10 hectares, Similar situations prevail
in such large cotton-growing areas as those served by the Chirchik-Angren (Uzbek
SSR), Murgab (Turkmen SSR), South Kazakh=tan, and other systems.
Such small irrigated tracts are unsuited to modern methods of grow-
ing cotton, sugar beets, wheat, and other crops, Conversion to the new irri-
gation system aims at eliminating obstructions to modern agricultural methods
and involves considerable reconrtr,iction of existing irrigation systems.
Most irrigation systems include,
a. Trunk canals, which carry water from the reservoir, lake, or
river to the edge of the fields to be irrigated;
b. Distribution canals, which distribute water 'between individual
kolkhozes, sovkhozes, g ovps of these, and regions; and
c. Irrigation canals, which carry water from the distribution canals
to the irrigated tracts,
Irrigation canals are arranged in the form of a dense network and are
located at short distances from each other. They are about 30-50 centimeters
deep and run along the top of earthen embankments 1.5-3 meters wide.'
It is not difficult to see that such a dense network of permanent
canals and such small irrigated tracts gives rise to a number of negative
factors in organizing irrigation farming procedures.
These negative factors include, first of all, losses of up to 4-6 per-
cent and, in some cases, up to 10-12 percent of the land on which permanent
canals are located. In addition, the shoulders of the embankments cannot be
planted and become weed-covered; tractors, cultivators, and harvesting machines
do much damage to crops when turning around at the ends of the tracts. Experi-
ence over many years shows that damage caused by machinery in this manner reduces
the harvest 3-5 percent.
A very serious disadvantage of permanent canals and small irrigated
tracts is that they obstruct the productive use of large tractors, combines,
seeders, cultivators, cotton pickers, and other agricultural machines. Experi-
ence has also shown that a dense network of permanent canals increases water
losses through seepage into the subsoil, which raises the ground water level
and leads to development of swampy conditions on the irrigated land. These
conditions, in turn, call for the expenditure of labor and materials for drain-
age canals. Labor required for cleaning permanent canals of silt, debris, and
CONFIDER N L
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CONFIDENTIAL
weeds runs into millions of working days annually on the kolkhozes of the Cent-al
Asiatic republics alone. An average of about 4.5 cubic meters of silt must be
removed from the canals for every hectare of cotton irrigated, about 3 cubic me-
{ersfor every hectare of. grain irrigated.
In the interest of more productive utilization of irrigated land, and
modern agricultural machinery, and in the interest of improved irrigation oper-
ations and more economical use of water, many leading kolkhozes and sovkhozes,
agricultural experimental stations, and scientific research institutes have
worked out and succesefu.lly applied an improved method of irrigation system
construction, This method consists of replacing permanent irrigation canals
with temporary canals which are used for only one growing season and then de-
stroyed, The new Irrigation system is being used with success on a number of
kolkhozes and sovkhozes in vari:us parts of the country,
On the "Kommunist" K alkhoz in Yangi-Yullskiy Rayon, Uzbek SSR, tem-
porary irrigation canals are opened in spring and closed in fail. They are
shallow enough so that tractars and agricu_'tural~a chdnesocan00 to 95. cross them. The
number of irrigated tracts on this kolkhoc was
2 hectares or smaller in size comprise only 5 percent of all tracts as compared
with 26 percent of all tracts under the old system. Twenty-three percent of
the tracts are larger than 10 hectares. The length of the irrigation network
was reduced from 130 to 46 meters, on the average, per hectare of irrigated land,
The "Iskra." imeni 17th Congress VKP(b). and "Kcmmunist" kolkhozes in
Turkmen SSR increased their irrigated land areas 10-12 percent and reduced water
losses 15 percent by replacing permanent irrigation canals with temporary canals.
Results in the irrigated grain-growing regions are interesting The
"Krasnyy Geroy" Kolkhoz, Pugachevskiy Rayon, Saratov Oblast, reduced the number
of its permanent irrigation canals from nine to two. The size of irrigated
tracts was increased ?.o 42-43 hecta.resa Establishment of temporary irrigation
canals reduced the volume of salt-removal work required per hectare to one fourth
of that previously necessary.
By converting to the new system, Sovkhoz No 97 increased its irrigated
tracts to 10 hectares and cut the length of its irrigation system from 23,6
to 8.2 kilometers. The "Put' Kommuny" Kolkhoz, Saratov Oblast, increased its
irrigated tracts to 55 hectares by converting from permanent to temporary irri-
gation canals,
Much work in converting from permanent to temporary irrigation canals
and simultaneously increasing the size of irrigated tracts has been carried out
on the kolkhozes and sovkhozes of Khakass Autonomous Oblast, Krasnoyarsk Aay,
by the Khakass Experimental Station for Irrigation Farming.
teleyev, director) has been occupied with studying conversion problems for a
number of years, It has conducted broad experiments in developing the new system
and'iiitroducing it on kolkhozes.
The A11-Union Scientific Research Institute for Hydraulic Engineering
and Improvement has carried out research in converting from permanent to tem-
porary irrigation canals on the kolkhoz imeni Stalin, Maryyskiy Rayon, Turkmen
SSR. There, irrigated tracts were increased in size to 28-35 hectares.
Advantages of the new irrigation system adopted by the government in-
clude more effective utilization of machinery on larger tracts, reduced water
requirements, and increased efficiency of the irrigation system.
Conversion to the new system comprehends retention of the old permanent
trunk and distribution canals but replacement of the old permanent irrigation
canals with, temporary canals to be-used for only one growing season.
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The government has set up a program for conversion to the new system
in all regions where land is irrigated. In the course of 4 years, 1950 - 1953,
the following numbers of hectares of irrigated land are to be converted to the
new system: 1,500,000 hectares in Uzbek SSR, 600,000 in Kazakh SSR, 210,000
in Tadzhik SSR, 350,000 in Turkmen SSR, 450,000 in Azerbaydzhan SSR, 507,000
in Kirgiz SSR, 200,000 in Georgian SSR, 150,000 in Armenian SS? and 325,700
in the RSFSR.
The example of kolkhozes in Yangi-Yul'skiy Rayon, Uzbek SSR, illustrates
how conversion to the new irrigation system will create the conditions for a
larger cotton harvest. At present, the total length of permanent irrigation
canals on kolkhozes of this rayon is 1,512 kilometers, After conversion, the
total length of permanent irrigation canals will be cut to 500 kilometers, Thus,
more than 1,000 kilometers of permanent canals will be replaced with temporary
canals, and the conversion will free 450 hectares of land for planting of cotton
and other crops. Conversion will reduce the number of irrigated tracts from
5,000 to 1,000 and will add 800 hectares of planting area through elimination
of field boundaries, superfluous roads, etc.
In the course of 3 years, it is planned to convert the kolkhozes in
Yangi-Yul'skiy Rayon from a nine-field crop-rotation system with three perennial
grass fields to a seven-field system with two grass fields. This measure will
result in increasing the cotton-growing part of the crop-rotation area from 66
to 71 percent of the entire area, or in increasing it by 650 hectares. As early
as 1951, it is planned to obtiin an average cotton yield of 40 centners per
On the 600,000 hectares to be converted to the new irrigation system
in seven oblasts of Kazakh SSR during the period 1950 - 1953, there are now
66,200 irrigated tracts with 64,300 kilometers cf irrigation canals. A total
of 34,300 hectares of fertile land is occupied by the permanent irrigation
canals. Conversion will reduce the number of irrigated tracts by 46,000, the
length of canals by 40,000 kilometers. At present, there are 110 meters of
permanent irrigation canals per hectare of irrigated land; after conversion,
there will be 40 meters per hectare.
crease in mechanization of such. laborious work as opening and closing temporary
operation of irrigation system head installations, etc. The basic units which
tions, and machine-improvement stations.
The agricultural machinery, construction machinery, and road-building
addition of a considerable number of excavators, heavy S-80 bulldozers, graders,
scrapers,-and truck cranes for transplanting trees.
In Central Asia, the Transcaucasus, and some other regions, trees, mostly
mulberry, are grown along irrigation canals. The governmental decree concerning
base- for silkworm raising.- Steps must be taken to increase mulberry leaf produc-
tion. Beginning in the fall of 1950, new mulberry plantations are to be estab-
According to the 17 August 1950 decree of the^,ouncil of Ministers, mul-
berry trees which can be transplanted are to be moved to special plantations
which can be irrigated or are to be planted along permanent canals and
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roads, When mulberry-tree stands also serve as shelter belts, the'r removal
is not permissible unless other shelter belts are substituted for them; in the
latter case, the new shelter belt must also consist of mulberry trees. Strict
adherence to established rules for preserving and developing the feed base for
silkworm raising is essential in accomplishing conversion to the new irrigation
system.
Month-long courses for training instructors in converting the irri-
gation system and in irrigating according to the new method will be developed
this year by local party organizations and the Ministries of Agriculture USSR,
Cotton Raising USSR, and Sovkhozes, Similar courses will be developed for
training instructors in mechanized operations connected with conversion to the
new system. Two-month courses are being organized for engineers and technicians,
and two-week courses for training senior mechanics, land organizers, and agrono-
mists. Broad training of organizers cod engineering and technical personnel is
most important for successful accomplishmenti of conversion to the new irrigation
system,
The decree of the Council of !Minteters, concerning conversion to the
new system of irrigation is one of the most important links in a system of
measures designed to further the growth of socialist agriculture.
The experience of leading kolkhozes and sovkhozes and scientific research
institutes in all irrigation regions proves conclusively that properly organized
irrigation is a powerful mean: for increasing the yield of all agricultural crops.
The following data of the Institute for Grain Economy of the Southeast USSR illus-
trate this factt
On an irrigated tract on the left bank of the Volga in Yershovskiy Rayon,
Saratov Oblast, where natural climatic conditions are unfavorable for agriculture,
spring wheat harvests for the years 1938 - 1949 averaged 44,2 centners per hec-
tare. During this period; the smal_leet harvest averaged 33,7 centners per hec-
tare, the highest 53,5 centners per hectare. At the Valuyskaya Irrigation Farming
Experimental Station on the left bank of the Volga, Stalingrad Oblast, spring wheat
harvests over a period of 16 years averaged 36,6 centners per hectare; no har-
vest averaged less than 29 centners per hectare,
Sugar-beet harvests averaged 492 centners per hectare over a period of 15
years at the Valuyskaya station, and 483 centners per hectare over a period of
years on the Yershovskiy irrigated tract.
The cotton yield on a large irrigated area of the "1 May" Kolkhoz, Stalin-
grad Oblast, was as high as 20 centners per hectare, and the sugar-beet yield
on the same kolkhoz 1,200 centners per hectare.
On the Kolkhoz imeni Voroshilov, Genicheskiy Rayon, Kherson Oblast, the
cotton yield reached 27 centners per hectare. Many kolkhozes in Central Asia
and the Transcaucasus obtain average cotton yields of 50-60 centners per hectare
on irrigated land, and sugar-beet yields of 500-600 centners per hectare,
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