Enhancing barley productivity and water conservation in arid steppes using deep slitting, hydrogel application, and an innovative Combined Seeding Unit (CSU)

Nurlibai Manabaev; Shamshaddin Yussupov; Abdugani Azimov; Zaure Ibragimova; Gani Iztleuov; Bekzat Kultassov; Rustam Manabaev; Elmira Yeleuova

doi:10.18393/ejss.1814408

Enhancing barley productivity and water conservation in arid steppes using deep slitting, hydrogel application, and an innovative Combined Seeding Unit (CSU)

Abstract

Global food security is increasingly threatened by escalating water scarcity and progressive soil degradation, particularly subsoil compaction resulting from repeated heavy machinery traffic. In many arid and semi-arid regions, bulk soil density may reach 1.68 g cm⁻³ in the 40–60 cm layer of heavy clay–loam soils, severely restricting water infiltration, gaseous exchange, and nutrient transport, ultimately causing substantial yield losses. This study investigated the synergistic effects of deep slitting (subsoiling) and superabsorbent hydrogel polymer (SAP) application on soil moisture dynamics and the productivity of Baisheshek barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under the arid steppe conditions of the Turkestan Region, Kazakhstan. A field experiment with four replications and seven treatments was conducted on compacted heavy clay–loam soil. Soil sampling and agrochemical analyses were performed across three representative sites to account for spatial heterogeneity and to evaluate the robustness of the proposed technology under variable field conditions. Treatments combined two slitting depths (20 cm and 40 cm) with two hydrogel rates (30 kg ha⁻¹ and 60 kg ha⁻¹). The optimal treatment—20 cm slitting with 30 kg ha⁻¹ hydrogel (SCH-20+30)—produced the most favorable soil moisture retention and highest agronomic performance, achieving a yield of 23.2 c ha⁻¹, a 53.6% increase (8.1 c ha⁻¹ gain) over the control (15.1 c ha⁻¹). The 30 kg ha⁻¹ dose was also the most economically efficient, as doubling the rate provided no significant benefit. To enable practical implementation, a patented Combined Seeding Unit (CSU) was developed to integrate deep slitting, hydrogel application, fertilizer placement, and seeding into a single-pass operation. This innovative methodology represents a technologically advanced, water-efficient, and sustainable approach for high-yield barley and other grain cultivation in arid and semi-arid regions, offering a practical model for precision soil and water management under climate-induced water scarcity.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan under Program BR21882218

Thanks

This study was made possible through the financial support of the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan under Program BR21882218. The authors express their sincere appreciation to the external collaborators and institutional partners whose expertise and assistance were instrumental to the success of this research. Special thanks are extended to Mr. M.P. Zhazykhbaev of RSE “Kazhydromet” for providing comprehensive agroclimatic data, and to Mr. M.M. Atyomov of LLP “Republican Soil Center” for conducting the detailed agrochemical soil fertility analyses. We are also deeply grateful to the farm heads — Ms. M.K. Aytubaeva (Farm “Aytubay”), Mr. T.E. Baibolov (PC “Elubay-Kuat”), and Mr. S.T. Shyrynkulov (Samat-TS LLP) — for their invaluable cooperation and technical support during the field trials assessing the hydrogel mixture and its effects on grain crop growth and productivity.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Soil Sciences and Plant Nutrition (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Nurlibai Manabaev This is me
0009-0008-4851-5990
Kazakhstan

Shamshaddin Yussupov This is me
0009-0003-8187-9247
Kazakhstan

Abdugani Azimov ^* This is me
0000-0002-1316-5854
Kazakhstan

Zaure Ibragimova This is me
0000-0002-7176-8186
Kazakhstan

Gani Iztleuov This is me
0000-0002-5722-342X
Kazakhstan

Bekzat Kultassov This is me
0000-0002-4682-553X
Kazakhstan

Rustam Manabaev This is me
0009-0007-9080-0595
Kazakhstan

Elmira Yeleuova This is me
0000-0002-6488-2714
Kazakhstan

Publication Date

January 2, 2026

Submission Date

April 11, 2025

Acceptance Date

October 24, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 15 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1814408

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA52MS47UL

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Manabaev, N., Yussupov, S., Azimov, A., Ibragimova, Z., Iztleuov, G., Kultassov, B., Manabaev, R., & Yeleuova, E. (2026). Enhancing barley productivity and water conservation in arid steppes using deep slitting, hydrogel application, and an innovative Combined Seeding Unit (CSU). Eurasian Journal of Soil Science, 15(1), 14-23. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1814408

AMA

1.Manabaev N, Yussupov S, Azimov A, et al. Enhancing barley productivity and water conservation in arid steppes using deep slitting, hydrogel application, and an innovative Combined Seeding Unit (CSU). EJSS. 2026;15(1):14-23. doi:10.18393/ejss.1814408

Chicago

Manabaev, Nurlibai, Shamshaddin Yussupov, Abdugani Azimov, et al. 2026. “Enhancing Barley Productivity and Water Conservation in Arid Steppes Using Deep Slitting, Hydrogel Application, and an Innovative Combined Seeding Unit (CSU)”. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 15 (1): 14-23. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1814408.

EndNote

Manabaev N, Yussupov S, Azimov A, Ibragimova Z, Iztleuov G, Kultassov B, Manabaev R, Yeleuova E (January 1, 2026) Enhancing barley productivity and water conservation in arid steppes using deep slitting, hydrogel application, and an innovative Combined Seeding Unit (CSU). Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 15 1 14–23.

IEEE

[1]N. Manabaev et al., “Enhancing barley productivity and water conservation in arid steppes using deep slitting, hydrogel application, and an innovative Combined Seeding Unit (CSU)”, EJSS, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 14–23, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.18393/ejss.1814408.

ISNAD

Manabaev, Nurlibai - Yussupov, Shamshaddin - Azimov, Abdugani - Ibragimova, Zaure - Iztleuov, Gani - Kultassov, Bekzat - Manabaev, Rustam - Yeleuova, Elmira. “Enhancing Barley Productivity and Water Conservation in Arid Steppes Using Deep Slitting, Hydrogel Application, and an Innovative Combined Seeding Unit (CSU)”. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 15/1 (January 1, 2026): 14-23. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1814408.

JAMA

1.Manabaev N, Yussupov S, Azimov A, Ibragimova Z, Iztleuov G, Kultassov B, Manabaev R, Yeleuova E. Enhancing barley productivity and water conservation in arid steppes using deep slitting, hydrogel application, and an innovative Combined Seeding Unit (CSU). EJSS. 2026;15:14–23.

MLA

Manabaev, Nurlibai, et al. “Enhancing Barley Productivity and Water Conservation in Arid Steppes Using Deep Slitting, Hydrogel Application, and an Innovative Combined Seeding Unit (CSU)”. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science, vol. 15, no. 1, Jan. 2026, pp. 14-23, doi:10.18393/ejss.1814408.

Vancouver

1.Nurlibai Manabaev, Shamshaddin Yussupov, Abdugani Azimov, Zaure Ibragimova, Gani Iztleuov, Bekzat Kultassov, Rustam Manabaev, Elmira Yeleuova. Enhancing barley productivity and water conservation in arid steppes using deep slitting, hydrogel application, and an innovative Combined Seeding Unit (CSU). EJSS. 2026 Jan. 1;15(1):14-23. doi:10.18393/ejss.1814408

Cited By

Localized subsurface placement of a polyacrylamide superabsorbent polymer improves soil moisture distribution and reduces irrigation requirement in wheat grown in Eastern Kazakhstan

EURASIAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE (EJSS)

https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1861849