AGROCHEMICAL STATUS AND SALINIZATION PATTERNS OF SOILS DESIGNATED FOR ARTIFICIAL FISHERY RESERVOIR CONSTRUCTION: A BASELINE ASSESSMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING IN AN IRRIGATED ARID REGION OF UZBEKISTAN

Uncontrolled agrochemical loading of collector–drainage networks is a major driver of salinization and fertility decline in soils earmarked for new artificial fishery reservoirs across irrigated arid regions, yet pre-construction agrochemical baselines for such sites remain rarely documented. This study establishes such a baseline for two representative site groups in an irrigated zone of Uzbekistan, combining standard hydrochemical, titrimetric and granulometric analyses with correlation and regression analysis to identify interionic relationships relevant to future water–salt monitoring. Humus content in the 0–30 cm layer was moderate (1.03–1.07%), whereas available phosphorus (5.0–7.5 mg/kg) and exchangeable potassium (76–166 mg/kg) were low to very low, indicating limited natural fertility. Soils were predominantly sandy and sandy loam (Kachinsky classification), implying high filtration potential. Total salt content ranged from 0.13 to 1.15%, with pH 7.3–8.6, classifying the soils as weakly alkaline to alkaline and moderately sulfate-salinized. A very strong sulfate–calcium correlation (r = 0.99, p < 0.05) indicated gypsum-driven salinization, while sulfate concentrations exceeded chloride by more than 20-fold. These interionic patterns and electrical conductivity values are proposed as practical indicators for a site-specific water–salt monitoring protocol prior to and after reservoir construction, supporting sustainable fishery resource management in salinity-prone irrigated landscapes.

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