COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF SIDERAT CROPS AND ALFALFA IN IMPROVING THE MELIORATIVE CONDITION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF SALINE LANDS IN THE BUKHARA REGION

Soil salinization is a major constraint on irrigated agriculture in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan, where 80–85% of irrigated lands are affected to varying degrees. This study compares the effectiveness of annual siderat (green manure) crops—primarily mung bean (Vigna radiata), rapeseed (Brassica napus), and mustard (Sinapis alba)—with the perennial legume alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in ameliorating saline meadow-alluvial soils and enhancing subsequent crop productivity. Field experiments conducted in 2023–2025 on weakly to moderately saline soils demonstrated that both approaches improve soil physical properties, increase organic matter and nutrient content, and reduce soluble salt concentrations. Siderats provided rapid short-term benefits (higher biomass incorporation within one season and 12–25% yield increases in following cotton or wheat), while alfalfa offered superior long-term soil structure improvement, greater nitrogen fixation over multiple years, and stronger reductions in soil electrical conductivity (EC) and pH. Mixtures or sequential use of siderats and alfalfa are recommended for optimized reclamation under water-scarce conditions.