8th INTERNATIONAL WHEAT CONFERENCE

WheAT BReedINg IN TAJIkISTAN
Muminjanov H.А., Morgounov А.I.
Tajik Agrarian University, 146, Rudaki ave., Dushanbe, TAJIKISTAN
CIMMYT, IWWIP, P.K. 39 Emek 06511, Ankara, TURKEY
E-mail Address of presenting author: mhafiz01@gmail.com
Tajikistan is a small mountainous country in the southern part of Central Asia. It has a
long history of agricultural civilization and is counted as one of the centers of origin and
diversity of cereals, including wheat, as confirmed by the expeditions of Academician
N.I.Vavilov early in the 20th century. As in other Central Asian countries, bread is the
staple food of the Tajik population but historical circumstances and changes in the social
and political lifestyle patterns have had a profound impact on agriculture generally, and
on wheat production.
Within the Soviet Union, Tajikistan was designated primarily as a cotton producer particularly
in the more productive irrigated areas of the country. Cereal crops were of less
importance because supplies could be easily imported in bulk from Russia and Kazakhstan.
After gaining independence in 1991, Government policies had to adapt rapidly to
changing economic circumstances and food security became a high priority.
Tajikistan is still predominantly an agrarian country with 52% of the workforce engaged
in agriculture. However, 93% of the territory is occupied by mountains and the total area
of agricultural land is only 1.57 mln ha, of which about 850, 000 hectares are suitable for
arable crops, equivalent to 0.11ha per capita. Given such limited land resources, there is
a heavy responsibility on government and the people to use of every hectare of land as
effectively as possible. Total area of wheat is about 350, 000 hectares, of which 140, 000
hectares are irrigated.
Wheat breeding research in Tajikistan began in 1926 under the direction of I.G.Sukhobrus.
In the 1940s and 50s, several successful wheat varieties were developed including Surkhak
5688, Surkhak Yubileynaya, Iroda 1006, Khoranka 46, Tajikskaya Chernokolosaya,
Tajikskaya 16 which became widely grown in the country. Between 1959 to 1963 the
bread wheat Surkhak 262 and durum wheat Shark, were released, while in the 1980 and
90’s breeding became focused on dwarf varieties suitable for intensive production. After
independence, new linkages opened up with the International Centers such as CIMMYT
and ICARDA and the collaborative International Winter Wheat Improvement Program
(IWWIP), between CIMMYT, ICARDA and Turkey. Despite the historical success of
Tajik wheat breeders, the maintenance of an independent breeding programme for such
a small national acreage could not be justified. Therefore since 1999 the breeding strategy
for wheat was to strengthen cooperation with the international research centers and to
select new varieties from among their large collections of germplasm. The main breeding
objectives were high grain yield, resistance to rusts, especially to yellow rust, and drought
tolerance. Later on selection for grain quality was included in the breeding objectives.
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