DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE AND RESOURCE-SAVING BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR COTTON CULTIVATION ON SALINE SOILS OF THE KHOREZM REGION

Sayfullayeva Sabinabonu Husniddinovna

Authors

Sayfullayeva Sabinabonu Husniddinovna Assistant at Bukhara State Medical Institute

Keywords:

cotton, saline soils, Khorezm region, biotechnology, biofertilizer, halotolerant bacteria, environmental safety, resource conservation.

Abstract

Salinization of agricultural lands in arid and semi-arid regions is one of the most critical environmental and agricultural problems worldwide. The Khorezm region of Uzbekistan is among the territories where soil salinity negatively affects cotton growth, yield, and fiber quality. This research aims to develop an environmentally safe and resource-saving biotechnology for cultivating cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under saline soil conditions. A complex biotechnological system based on biofertilizers, halotolerant microorganisms, and organic soil amendments was developed to improve soil structure, increase nutrient availability, and enhance plant stress resistance. Experimental studies conducted in the saline soils of the Khorezm region demonstrated that the combined use of microbial inoculants (Azotobacter, Bacillus subtilis, and halotolerant phosphate-solubilizing bacteria) with vermicompost and moderate mineral fertilizers increased seed germination by 15–20%, chlorophyll content by 18%, and cotton yield by 22–28% compared to traditional farming practices. The results suggest that such integrated biotechnology can effectively reduce environmental impact, improve soil fertility, and optimize water and nutrient use efficiency in cotton farming systems on saline lands.

References

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UNESCO (2020). Hydrological impacts of salinity in Central Asia. Paris: UNESCO.

Yakubov, A., & Tashpulatov, M. (2024). “Resource-saving technologies in cotton farming under salinity stress.” Uzbek Journal of Agriculture and Ecology, 29(1), 75–83.