Drought-Resilient Alfalfa Offers Lifeline to Kazakh Farmers

A new, climate-resilient variety of alfalfa has been released in Kazakhstan, offering hope to farmers fighting severe drought and water scarcity. The variety, named Tozimdi (meaning "stable" or "sustainable" in Kazakh), was developed through an international collaboration between the Kazakhstan Scientific Research Institute for Agriculture and Plant Growing (KSRIAPG) and the Australian Pastures Genebank at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).

The success of Tozimdi comes from tapping into wild alfalfa relatives stored in global genebanks. Breeders cross-bred local alfalfa with these wild species, which are naturally endowed with exceptional traits such as drought- and heat-tolerance, able to withstand temperatures from -20 to 40 degrees Celsius (4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit). This work was funded by the BOLD (Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods, and Development) project, led by the Crop Trust. The new variety is expected to provide stable forage in drylands, help slow desertification, and improve soil health due to alfalfa's natural nitrogen-fixing properties.

For Kazakh farmers, the economic benefits are immediate and substantial. Tozimdi is a high-yielding variety that can provide three to four harvests per year. Farmers who tested the plant across various regions were impressed with its resilience, yield potential, and ability to thrive during the cooler, wetter periods, while also enduring the hot, dry summers. This climate-smart approach to agriculture—drawing on genetic diversity to enhance crop resilience—is being celebrated as a vital step toward safeguarding Kazakhstan's food security and boosting the profitability of its livestock sector.

For more details, read the article on The Crop Trust website.