Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Winter wheat quantity or quality? Assessing food security in Uzbekistan

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Food Security Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Winter wheat is the most important cereal in Uzbekistan. Although the processing industry recognizes the low quality of local wheat, the present land use policy prioritizes production quantity, and wheat of better quality is imported to improve local flour. Yet, with increasing world market prices, Uzbekistan has to decide whether to continue allocating considerable resources for imports or to start investing in local quality improvements. This study therefore analyzed wheat production in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan by (a) assessing the economic feasibility of local production vs. imports; and by (b) evaluating the current N-fertilizer management at field level in order to identify options for improving quality. Demand for wheat in the region currently falls short of supply by 79,000 t but under favorable world market prices, funds for importing additional wheat could be covered by cotton sales. Prices above $148 USD t−1 support the present land use policy to cultivate wheat but the baking quality of the crop is low. Higher N rates and/or an additional application of N at anthesis significantly increased grain quality. Additional costs for changes in N management, however, are currently not compensated by the price premiums at the State mills. Thus, in the absence of price incentives, it is unrealistic to expect producers to maximize quality production. Consequently, administrators must give quality greater attention by creating incentives through price differentials for higher quality, and encouraging awareness programs on wheat quality and improved on-field N management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Tandyr bread is locally made traditional flat bread from wheat flour.

  2. Unfortunately, researchers of the Khorezm Wheat Research Station were reluctant to share their latest research results with the author.

  3. This wheat classification is provided by the wheat laboratories at the Uzbek State mills, and is based on a calculated value between 1 and 4, with class 1 being the best and class 4 being the worst and equivalent to fodder quality (Abugalieva et al. 2003b). The values are the integrals of the analyses of the quality parameters transparency, gluten content, gluten viscoelastic characteristics, and natural grain weight.

References

  • Abugalieva, A., Atli, A., Murgounov, A., Massalimov, A., Meng, E. C. H., & Peña, R. J. (2003a). Milling, baking and grain factors influencing quality of tandyr bread (nan) in Central Asia. In GTZ-CIMMYT (Ed.), Quality of wheat kernels in Central Asia (pp. 5–22). Almaty: GTZ-CIMMYT.

  • Abugalieva, A. I., Bedoshivili, D., & Morgunov, A. I. (2003b). Main characteristics of baking quality of Kazakh winter wheat kernels in comparison with requirements of the world market. Description of the existing system of wheat quality classification and its comparison with the international systems (US, Europe, Canada, Australia). In GTZ-CIMMYT (Ed.), Quality of wheat kernels in Central Asia. (pp. 23–30). Almaty: GTZ-CIMMYT.

  • Alaru, M., Laur, Ü., & Jaama, E. (2003). Influence of nitrogen and weather conditions on the grain quality of winter triticale. Agronomy Research, 1, 3–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bates, B. C., Kundzewicz, Z. W., Wu, S., & Palutikof, J. P. (2008). Climate change and water. Technical paper of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Geneva: IPCC Secretariat.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bobojonov, I., & Lamers, J. P. A. (2008). Analysis of agricultural markets in Khorezm, Uzbekistan. In P. Wehrheim, A. Schoeller-Schletter, & C. Martius (Eds.), Continuity and change land and water use reforms in rural Uzbekistan—Socio-economic and legal analyses for the region Khorezm (pp. 165–182). Halle: IAMO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chub, V. E. (2000). Climate change and its impact on natural resources potential of the Republic of Uzbekistan (p. 219). Tashkent: Central Asian Hydro-meteorological Research Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Djanibekov, N. (2008). A micro-economic analysis of farm restructuring in the Khorezm region (p. 180). Bonn: ZEF/Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eck, H. V. (1988). Winter wheat response to nitrogen and irrigation. Agronomy Journal, 80(6), 902–908.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2003) Fertilizer use by crop in Uzbekistan. ftp://ftp.fao.org/agl/agll/docs/fertuseuzbekistan.pdf. Accessed 23 Oct 2010.

  • FAO (2010). Directory listing for/prices/. http://www.fao.org/es/esc/prices/. Accessed 23 Oct 2010.

  • FAO, & WFP. (2000). Special report: FAO/WFP crop and food supply assessment mission to the Karakalpakstan and Khorezm regions of Uzbekistan (p. 17). Rome: FAO/WFP.

    Google Scholar 

  • FAOSTAT (2010). Agriculture data, agricultural production. http://faostat.fao.org/default.aspx. Accessed 22 Oct 2010.

  • Farrer, D. C., Weisz, R., Heiniger, R., Murphy, J. P., & White, J. G. (2006). Minimizing protein variability in soft red winter wheat: impact of nitrogen application timing and rate. Agronomy Journal, 98(4), 1137–1145.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, D. B. (2003). Crop nitrogen demand and grain protein concentration of spring and winter wheat. Agronomy Journal, 95(2), 260–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, D. B., Brydon, J., & Baker, R. J. (1989). Nitrogen fertilization of no-till winter wheat and rye. II. Influence on grain protein. Agronomy Journal, 81(1), 72–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frederick, J. R., Bauer, P. J., & Busscher, W. J. (2001). Grain yield and yield components of doublecropped winter wheat as affected by wheat and previous soybean production practices. Crop Science, 41, 778–784.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, M. (1996). Nutritional value of proteins from different food sources. A review. Jounal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 44, 6–29.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Glazirin, G. E., Shanicheva, S. C., & Chub, V. E. (1999). Brief description of the climate in Uzbekistan (in Russian). Tashkent: Central Asian Hydro-meteorological Research Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guadagni, M., Raiser, M., Crole-Rees, A., & Khidirov, D. (2005). Cotton taxation in Uzbekistan: Opportunities for reform. ECSSD working paper No 41, Europe and Central Asia region (p. 29). Washington: World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gwirtz, J. A., Willyard, M. R., & McFall, K. L. (2007). Wheat quality in the United States of America. In L. Popper, W. Schäfer, & W. Freund (Eds.), Future of flour—A compendium of flour improvement (pp. 17–42). Ahrensburg: Agrimedia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoekstra, A. Y., & Chapagain, A. K. (2007). Water footprints of nations: water use by people as a function of their consumption pattern. Water Resources Management, 21(1), 35–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IFA (2006). World fertilizer use manual. (pp. 632). Paris: International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA). http://www.fertilizer.org/ifa/Home-Page/LIBRARY/Our-selection2/World-Fertilizer-Use-Manual/by-type-of-crops. Accessed 21 Oct 2010.

  • Johnson, V. A., Dreier, A. F., & Grabouski, P. H. (1973). Yield and protein responses to nitrogen fertilizer of two winter wheat varieties differing in inherent protein content of their grain. Agronomy Journal, 65(2), 259–263.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kandiyoti, D. (2002). Agrarian reform, gender and land rights in Uzbekistan. Social policy and development programme paper No 11. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD).

  • Kienzler, K. M. (2010). Improving the nitrogen use efficiency and crop quality in the Khorezm region, Uzbekistan. In P. L. G. Vlek, M. Denich, C. Martius, A. Manschadi, & J. Bogardi (Eds.), Ecology and development series No 72 (pp. 265): ZEF Bonn.

  • MAWR. (1996). Practical recommendation on agriculture: Water, soil and fertilizer (in Russian). Tashkent: Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources and Academy of Agricultural Science of Uzbekistan.

    Google Scholar 

  • MAWR (2000). Agrotechnology of cereal production in irrigated and non-irrigated areas (in Russian) (pp. 46). HAYOT, Andijan: Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources and Academy of Agricultural Science of Uzbekistan.

  • MAWR (2006a). Catalogue: Wheat and barley varieties recommended for sowing in Uzbekistan (in Russian) (pp. 64). Tashkent: Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources and Academy of Agricultural Science of Uzbekistan.

  • MAWR (2006b). Description of agricultural crops which are officially registered and recommended for cultivation in Uzbekistan (in Uzbek) (pp. 334). Tashkent, Uzbekistan: Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources and Academy of Agricultural Science of Uzbekistan.

  • McCarthy, J. J., Canziani, O. F., Leary, N. A., Dokken, D. J., & White, K. S. (2001). Climate change 2001: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of working group ii to the third assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

  • Morgunov, A. I., & Shevtsov, V. M. (2004). Improvement of crop productivity in Central Asia through germplasm enhancement. In J. Ryan, P. L. G. Vlek, & R. Paroda (Eds.), Agriculture in Central Asia: Research for development (pp. 212–228). Aleppo: ICARDA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Müller, M. (2006). A general equilibrium approach to modeling water and land use reforms in Uzbekistan. Bonn: ZEF/Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn.

    Google Scholar 

  • OblStat. (2006). Annual report for crop production in the Khorezm region (in Uzbek). Urgench: Regional Department of Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson, R. A., Frank, K. D., Deibert, E. J., Dreier, A. F., Sander, D. H., & Johnson, V. A. (1976). Impact of residual mineral n in soil on grain protein yields of winter wheat and corn. Agronomy Journal, 68(5), 769–772.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ortiz-Monasterio, R. J. I., Penna, R. J., Sayre, K. D., & Rajaram, S. (1997). CIMMYT’s genetic progress in wheat grain quality under four nitrogen rates. Crop Science, 37(3), 892–898.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ottman, M. J., Doerge, T. A., & Martin, E. C. (2000). Durum grain quality as affected by nitrogen fertilization near anthesis and irrigation during grain fill. Agronomy Journal, 92(5), 1035–1041.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raiffeisen (2010). Field manager: Wheat. Quality criteria for wheat (in German). http://www.raiffeisen.com/pflanzen/ackermanager/weizen_html. Accessed 20 Oct 2010.

  • Rasulov, A. M. (1989). Soils of the USSR cotton belt (in Uzbek). In R. Kuziev (Ed.), Cotton compendium (pp. 26–36). Tashkent: Uzbek Soil Science Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudenko, I. (2008). Value chains for rural and regional development: The case of cotton, wheat, fruit and vegetable value chains in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya river, Uzbekistan (p. 235). Hannover: ZEF Bonn/Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheer, C., Wassmann, R., Kienzler, K., Ibragimov, N., Lamers, J. P. A., & Martius, C. (2008). Methane and nitrous oxide fluxes in annual and perennial land use systems of the irrigated areas in the Aral Sea basin. Global Change Biology, 14(10), 2454s–2468s.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selles, F., & Zentner, R. P. (2001). Grain protein as a post-harvest index of n sufficiency for hard red spring wheat in the semiarid prairies. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 81(4), 631–636.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shewry, P. R., Tatham, A. S., Barro, F., Barcelo, P., & Lazzeri, P. (1995). Biotechnology of breadmaking: unraveling and manipulating the multi-protein gluten complex. Bio/Technology, 13, 1185–1190.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sommer, R., Kienzler, K., Conrad, C., Ibragimov, N., Lamers, J. P., Martius, C., et al. (2008). Evaluation of the CropSyst model for simulating the potential yield of cotton. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 28(2), 345–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • USDA (2009). USDA foreign agricultural service. Global agriculture information network gain report—KZ9001.

  • Woolfolk, C. W., Raun, W. R., Johnson, G. V., Thomason, W. E., Mullen, R. W., Wynn, K. J., et al. (2002). Influence of late-season foliar nitrogen applications on yield and grain nitrogen in winter wheat. Agronomy Journal, 94(3), 429–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wuest, S. B., & Cassman, K. G. (1992). Fertilizer-nitrogen use efficiency of irrigated wheat: II. Partitioning efficiency of preplant versus late-season application. Agronomy Journal, 84(4), 689–694.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Both the economic and nitrogen studies were funded by the German Ministry for Education and Research (number 0339970A-E), by the Ministry for Schools, Science and Research of the State of Northrhine-Westfalia, Germany, and the Robert Bosch Foundation. We thank the participating Uzbek farmers for their support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Regional Office for Central Asia and the Caucasus (CAC), P.O. Box 4564, 100000, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

    Kirsten Maren Kienzler

  2. Center for Development Research (ZEF), Walter-Flex-Str. 3, 53113, Bonn, Germany

    Kirsten Maren Kienzler, Inna Rudenko & John P. A Lamers

  3. Urgench State University, Urgench, Uzbekistan

    Jumanazar Ruzimov

  4. Uzbek Cotton Research Institute, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

    Nazar Ibragimov

Authors
  1. Kirsten Maren Kienzler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Inna Rudenko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jumanazar Ruzimov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Nazar Ibragimov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. John P. A Lamers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kirsten Maren Kienzler.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kienzler, K.M., Rudenko, I., Ruzimov, J. et al. Winter wheat quantity or quality? Assessing food security in Uzbekistan. Food Sec. 3, 53–64 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-010-0109-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-010-0109-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation