By Professor Fabian Fernandez
Edited by Nora Poole
Minnesota is home to a substantial portion of what the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations defines as “black soil.” Black soils are deep soils, rich in organic carbon, and because of their very high fertility, they are typically used for intensive agriculture. Indeed, the FAO considers these unique soils “the food basket of the world.” Kazakhstan, the world’s ninth largest country by land area and the largest landlocked country, is also exceptionally rich in black soil. There are approximately only 1.8 billion acres of these soils in the world; Kazakhstan is the country with the second-most black soil, while the US ranks seventh.
In 2024/2025, the University of Minnesota China Center Global Programs and Strategy Alliance hosted a large delegation of scholars from Kazakhstan in the Twin-Cities. The Department of Soil, Water, and Climate had an opportunity to host and mentor some members of this group during their time in Minnesota. We also established a Memorandum of Understanding with The Uspanov Kazakh Research Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry to foster collaborations and exchange opportunities. Uspanov is the leading institution in Kazakhstan for basic and applied research in soil science and agrochemistry, focusing on soil fertility and sustainable land use and assessment.
Late this summer, I began my sabbatical leave as an invited keynote speaker at the International Sustainable Management of Soil Resources in the Context of Climate Change Conference, in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The conference also celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Uspanov Kazakh Research Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry. During my sabbatical, I am interested in learning more about the productivity of black soils in different regions and better understanding nitrogen cycling processes in these productive soils, so the conference was an excellent way to start.
I received a warm welcome from members of the delegation that had visited the University of Minnesota. They feel a strong sense of connection to our institution and continue to proudly wear U of MN apparel (photo left). We had many opportunities to share tasty meals and reminisce about the group's time in Minnesota.
In addition to attending an engaging conference and visiting with scientists at a several research institutes, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the rich culture and history of Kazakhstan. I visited the countryside, and learned more about the country's soils and cropping systems. I also went shopping at the Green Bazaar, where one can spend hours walking between shops. The group took me on several touristic excursions during a long weekend celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Kazakhstan’s constitution. We went to Kosai Lake, Charyn Canyon National Park, and the Shymbulak ski area with peaks covered in permanent snow. Zhaniya Bimurza, who I mentored as an academic advisor while she was in Minnesota, was a wonderful and knowledgeable guide and interpreter during the entire visit!
*From Left to right Sydykova Bibinur, Head of the Department of Epidemiology, Evidence-Based Medicine, and Biostatistics, Kazakhstan’s Medical University; Assiya Shoman, Senior Research at the Kazakh Research Institute Of Processing And Food Industry; Kuralay Orazymbet, Associate Dean of the School of General Medicine at the Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University; Samat Tanirbergenov, Deputy Chair of the Board of the Uspanov Kazakh Research Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry; Fabian Fernandez, Professor in SWAC; Rabiga Kassymbek, Leading Researcher at the Kazakh Research Institute Of Processing And Food Industry; Aidos Nurzhaubayev, Chief Agronomist of the Dinara Group Agricultural holding; and Zhaniya Bimurza, PhD student at the Department of Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Ecology at the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University.