Prior to independence the monoculture of cotton has led to serious problems of land degradation in Uzbekistan and to the environmental catastrophe of the Aral Sea. Since independence, priority has been given to the diversification of agricultural production and self-sufficiency in cereals has now been achieved. Farming, although not land ownership, has been privatized. This study describes the agro-ecological and farming conditions of the country, cropping, and the use of fertilizers and manures.
