Agroecological soil properties changes and treated wastewater management in arid regions: A case study from the Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan

Gulnur Daldabayeva; Asylkhan Shomantayev; Serikbay Umirzakov; Sultanbek Tauipbayev; Zhanuzak Baimanov; Abzal Shegenbayev; Meruyert Kopen; Almasbek Berdibek

doi:10.18393/ejss.1759771

Agroecological soil properties changes and treated wastewater management in arid regions: A case study from the Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan

Abstract

This study comprehensively assessed the agroecological characteristics and dynamics of soil cover in an experimental plot within the Syrdarya Delta's lower reaches in Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan, aiming to provide scientific data for developing sustainable cultivation practices for woody and forage crops amidst escalating water scarcity and soil degradation due to climate change and intensive agriculture. The methodology involved detailed physicochemical analyses of soil samples collected from upper (0-40 cm) and lower (below 40 cm) tiers of an experimental site in Tasboget village, specifically prepared with land leveling and irrigated using treated wastewater, with samples taken initially and after a vegetation period following GOST standards. Key analytical findings revealed significant and detrimental alterations in soil properties, particularly in the vital upper layers, including a shift in mechanical composition, a notable increase in pH (from 8.10 to 8.60), an alarming 1100% rise in sodium (Na⁺) content, dramatic increases in sulfate (SO₄²⁻), and a significant decrease in crucial humus content (up to 58.70%). These adverse changes profoundly undermined the soil's capacity to support plant life, evidenced by a very low (39.20%) survival rate of tree plantations, while lower tiers also exhibited persistent alkalinity and humus depletion alongside chloride and sodium accumulation; field observations further highlighted that higher irrigation volumes led to salt leaching and secondary salinization risks. In conclusion, intensive land leveling and inappropriate irrigation practices in this arid region severely degrade soil health, leading to increased alkalinity, salinity, and crucial humus depletion, creating a highly challenging environment for agricultural sustainability and plant establishment, thus underscoring the critical need for integrated and adaptive soil management strategies, including judicious irrigation, targeted agro-meliorative methods, and the responsible utilization of treated wastewater, which collectively offer an empirically-supported scientific foundation for effective land reclamation and optimized irrigation regimes to enhance the long-term productivity and sustainability of agricultural lands in Kazakhstan's challenging arid environments.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Soil Sciences and Plant Nutrition (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Gulnur Daldabayeva ^* This is me
0000-0002-9586-798X
Kazakhstan

Asylkhan Shomantayev This is me
0000-0003-3089-8651
Kazakhstan

Serikbay Umirzakov
0000-0003-1658-7400
Kazakhstan

Sultanbek Tauipbayev This is me
0009-0004-7764-0898
Kazakhstan

Zhanuzak Baimanov This is me
0000-0003-3572-3615
Kazakhstan

Abzal Shegenbayev This is me
0000-0002-5910-2840
Kazakhstan

Meruyert Kopen This is me
0000-0001-9982-0428
Kazakhstan

Almasbek Berdibek This is me
0009-0008-6454-2438
Kazakhstan

Publication Date

October 1, 2025

Submission Date

January 9, 2025

Acceptance Date

August 3, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 14 Number: 4

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1759771

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA36GH43XT

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Daldabayeva, G., Shomantayev, A., Umirzakov, S., Tauipbayev, S., Baimanov, Z., Shegenbayev, A., Kopen, M., & Berdibek, A. (2025). Agroecological soil properties changes and treated wastewater management in arid regions: A case study from the Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science, 14(4), 386-397. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1759771

AMA

1.Daldabayeva G, Shomantayev A, Umirzakov S, et al. Agroecological soil properties changes and treated wastewater management in arid regions: A case study from the Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan. EJSS. 2025;14(4):386-397. doi:10.18393/ejss.1759771

Chicago

Daldabayeva, Gulnur, Asylkhan Shomantayev, Serikbay Umirzakov, et al. 2025. “Agroecological Soil Properties Changes and Treated Wastewater Management in Arid Regions: A Case Study from the Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan”. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 14 (4): 386-97. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1759771.

EndNote

Daldabayeva G, Shomantayev A, Umirzakov S, Tauipbayev S, Baimanov Z, Shegenbayev A, Kopen M, Berdibek A (October 1, 2025) Agroecological soil properties changes and treated wastewater management in arid regions: A case study from the Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 14 4 386–397.

IEEE

[1]G. Daldabayeva et al., “Agroecological soil properties changes and treated wastewater management in arid regions: A case study from the Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan”, EJSS, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 386–397, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.18393/ejss.1759771.

ISNAD

Daldabayeva, Gulnur - Shomantayev, Asylkhan - Umirzakov, Serikbay - Tauipbayev, Sultanbek - Baimanov, Zhanuzak - Shegenbayev, Abzal - Kopen, Meruyert - Berdibek, Almasbek. “Agroecological Soil Properties Changes and Treated Wastewater Management in Arid Regions: A Case Study from the Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan”. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 14/4 (October 1, 2025): 386-397. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1759771.

JAMA

1.Daldabayeva G, Shomantayev A, Umirzakov S, Tauipbayev S, Baimanov Z, Shegenbayev A, Kopen M, Berdibek A. Agroecological soil properties changes and treated wastewater management in arid regions: A case study from the Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan. EJSS. 2025;14:386–397.

MLA

Daldabayeva, Gulnur, et al. “Agroecological Soil Properties Changes and Treated Wastewater Management in Arid Regions: A Case Study from the Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan”. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science, vol. 14, no. 4, Oct. 2025, pp. 386-97, doi:10.18393/ejss.1759771.

Vancouver

1.Gulnur Daldabayeva, Asylkhan Shomantayev, Serikbay Umirzakov, Sultanbek Tauipbayev, Zhanuzak Baimanov, Abzal Shegenbayev, Meruyert Kopen, Almasbek Berdibek. Agroecological soil properties changes and treated wastewater management in arid regions: A case study from the Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan. EJSS. 2025 Oct. 1;14(4):386-97. doi:10.18393/ejss.1759771

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