As 40 % of agricultural land is not being cultivated in Ararat Valley, therefore, salination of agricultural soils related issue is being paid less attention.
The problem always occurs. Since the Soviet years the authorities had been carrying out measures to prevent salination and still the saline soils.
Almost 30 thousand hectares of Ararat Valley soil are saline. Until 1991, almost 1750 hectares of salt-affected soils became still, open and closed drainage systems and drainage pumping stations were built.
Along with the collapse of the Soviet system, the system of inhibiting salination was disrupted as well. Closed drainage system was completely plugged up, and the open one remained without any service for many years, hence, losing its significance. As a result, new lands became saline, and earlier stilled lands were subjected to double salination. Consequently, every year about 50 hectares of land in Ararat Valley is subjected to salination or double salination.
Dozens of communities in Armavir marz are located in the salt-affected zone. The privatization of many farms in those communities led to getting half or fully salt-damaged soils. Accordingly, double salination or salination of new lands do not allow the agricultural farms to cultivate their plots.
The experts insist that prevention of salination is based on some factors; firstly, to decrease groundwater level, secondly, to irrigate the soils frequently, then to develop salt-tolerant crops. Simultaneously, these actions need a range of efforts and financial means, the implementation of which is almost impossible without state programs.
Photos by Galust Nanyan
