Agricultural specialists from Central Asia studied soil enrichment practice in USA
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (USA) recently hosted a delegation from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan comprised of scientists, researchers, government officials and agricultural specialists. The visit was organized at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agriculture Service under the Cochran Fellowship Program intended to impart sustainable agriculture practices. The two-week workshop program was aimed at delivering agriculture practices related to soil enrichment. “The instruction provided was intended to enable the Cochran Fellows to strengthen the agricultural sectors in their respective countries”, reports the University web-site. Under the support of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for Arkansas and Texas, the delegations from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan had met the researchers and agribusiness producers in rural areas near the Texas-Mexico border where land conditions best approximate those in Central Asian countries. In addition, the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center conducted workshops and site visits that focused on soil enrichment techniques in arid conditions, irrigation and water management, erosion prevention and plant health in forest and pastureland. UAPB has held presentations on the working partnership between U.S. higher education, private producers and government agencies, which is more effective in long-term perspective, than isolated investments and strategies. On a visit to the Arkansas Farm Bureau headquarters in Little Rock, the delegations had overviewed the U.S. federal legislation and regulatory practices that impact the agriculture sector, environmental resources and water use in arid zones, as well as incentives on crop production. Uzbek and Turkmen specialists had traveled through the Delta to the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station in Marianna, Arkansas, where they visited the center’s soil testing lab. They had learned about international soil testing standards, as well as cost-effective soil testing methods and equipment.” The second half of the visit program was focused on experiential learning in Uvalde, South Central Texas, where the area was selected to best align with arid soil conditions. Moreover, crops produced in this region – including cotton, wheat, grains and horticultural crops – are generally consistent with those grown in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The USDA Cochran Fellowship Program provides short-term training opportunities to agricultural professionals from middle-income countries and emerging markets. The program’s primary goals are to help countries develop agricultural systems necessary to meet the food and fiber needs of their domestic populations, and strengthen and enhance trade linkages between eligible countries and agricultural interests in the U.S. Approximately 600 Cochran Fellows visit U.S. annually, generally for two to three weeks to work with U.S. universities, government agencies and private companies.
