Continuing our tour of the Pavlodar region, we visited the peasant farm “KAP”, located in the Zhelezinsky district. Its head, Timur Kabdulov, applies a fundamental scientific approach to farming, which is not surprising given his unconventional academic background.
From High Science to Agribusiness
Unlike many agrarians, Timur came to agriculture from a scientific background:
- He began his professional path by studying bioorganic chemistry at Moscow State University.
- He later continued his studies in the USA in master’s and PhD programs in immunology and microbiology, specializing in viruses.
- The decision to radically change his field of activity and take up farming in Kazakhstan was pragmatic: people always need food, whereas there is not yet the necessary market and production base for a complex biotechnological industry in the country.
Why Potatoes?
Timur started his journey in agriculture by breeding cattle (Angus breed). However, unstable government policy (constant closing and opening of export markets to control domestic prices) made long-term planning look like a lottery. After analyzing the climatic realities of the Pavlodar region and the market situation, the farmer has bet on potatoes since 2019 — a crop that, with the right approach, can provide a stable income.
Today, 550 hectares of the farm are allocated for potatoes. Carrots are grown as a “hobby,” although their profitability is highly volatile. The most important sales market for potatoes remains the 40-million-strong Uzbekistan, and in the event of the closure of export borders, Kazakh farmers could instantly face a crisis of overproduction.
Agricultural Technologies: Seeds and Diseases
Initially, the farm purchased elite seeds of the “Gala” variety in Germany for planting. Now the farmer successfully multiplies them himself, regularly sending tubers to laboratories (including in Moscow) for testing for hidden viruses using ELISA and PCR methods.
A biological education helps Timur effectively build plant protection strategies:
- Rhizoctonia (black scurf): Considered the main problem in local conditions. Because of it, tubers can crack. To control the disease, azoxystrobin (at a rate of 1 liter per hectare) is applied to the furrow during planting, and the tubers are additionally treated with fludioxonil on “Mafex” tables.
- Alternaria: A disease of weakened plants that usually begins to manifest in the second half of June.
- Late Blight (Phytophthora): Manifests less often, but last August, due to temperature fluctuations, there was an outbreak that required several fungicide treatments.
- Pests: Nematodes and wireworms are periodically found in the fields; crop rotation and the use of specialized preparations help fight them.
Fighting Wind Erosion
The soil on the farm is very soft and sandy, which creates a serious threat of wind erosion.
- Classic mechanical tillage for fallow land does not work here: the wind instantly blows the soil away, forming sand dunes up to 50 centimeters high at the edges of the fields.
- To protect the soil structure, the farmer tries to minimize mechanical intervention, creating chemical “screens” using herbicides (for example, prometryn).
- As an experiment, “occupied fallow” methods are used — sowing oats to clean and protect the fields.
The Secret of Resilience
Despite climatic challenges, the fight against pathogens, and price fluctuations, Timur maintains a positive attitude.
“I have never given up. It’s kind of like optimism, hoping for the best. When it’s hard, know that it will pass and brighter times will come”.
