The "Uzbekistan – 2030" program aims to generate an income of 5,000 US dollars per hectare and increase agricultural exports to 10 billion dollars. To achieve this, we need not only foreign technologies but also the millennia-old experience of our ancestors.

It is precisely for this purpose that, on the occasion of the 690th anniversary of the birth of Amir Temur, the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, prepared a monograph for publication: "Agriculture in the Era of Amir Temur and the Temurids." The book is based on rare manuscripts from the 15th–16th centuries: the Persian work "Irshod az‑ziro‘a fi ilm al‑hirosa" and the Turkic treatise "Fann‑i kishtu ziroat" ("A Guide to the Science of Farming"). In this monograph, prepared on the initiative of the Ministry, the rich experience of farming and crop cultivation during the Temurid era is presented, and where necessary, the methods and approaches of that time are explained for the modern reader. The book contains techniques that are interesting, simple, useful and surprising – and, although long forgotten, could easily be used again today. Let us discover these secrets together.

How did they predict the weather?

How did our farmers know about the weather in times when there were no weather stations? You will be surprised: they looked at the Moon, at birds, and even at a cooking pot.

For example, if the Moon shone brightly on the third or fourth night, they expected clear weather during the day. If the Moon turned reddish, the wind would pick up; if it darkened, they expected heavy rain. If sparrows and mynas chirped in the trees, that was considered a sign of imminent rain. If a chicken kept shaking itself or many sparks appeared under a hanging pot in the hearth, they also understood: rain was coming.

What does modern agriculture say about this? Science calls such observations phenology. To this day, farmers in Japan and China often rely on the lunar calendar. Isn’t that interesting?

Where to find groundwater? Wool and a copper pot can help!

In that era, farmers determined the location of groundwater using… a copper pot. Yes, yes, you heard correctly.

They dug a pit three gaz deep (approximately two metres), greased a yellow copper pot with oil. Then they made a walnut‑sized ball of pure wool, dipped it into melted wax, and attached it to the inner wall of the pot. After that, they turned the pot upside down, buried it in the pit, and unearthed it the next morning. If the pot was damp and the wool ball had absorbed moisture, the groundwater was close to the surface; if there was little moisture, the water lay deeper.

What do you think of such a method? Today, we do this with geophysical instruments. But our ancestors’ method could still be a cheap and understandable solution for small farms today. Wouldn’t you agree?

Soil salinity… determined by taste!

Today, specialised laboratories are used to determine soil salinity. But in the Temurid era, they acted more simply. How exactly? Of course – they tasted the soil.

They took a handful of soil from a depth of two or three gaz, put it into a clay vessel, poured rainwater over it, and stirred. When the water settled, they tasted it. If the water's taste did not change, the soil was considered good. If the water became salty or bitter, the soil was saline. If the soil gave off an unpleasant smell, it was considered completely unsuitable for sowing.

Interestingly, the book says that only the date palm grows well on saline soils. The fact that today date plantations are being established in many saline regions shows that our ancestors were right.

Seedless pumpkin – a technology that existed 500 years ago

You probably haven’t heard this one before. Today, seedless watermelons and seedless grapes are considered achievements of modern breeding. But the treatise describes an astonishing method.

Here is what they did: when the vine (runner) of a pumpkin or cucumber grew to one gaz, they dug a small hole under it and laid part of the vine into the hole so that the tip remained outside. When the vine grew another gaz, they repeated the procedure. After doing this three times, the vine rooted underground, and after separating it from the main plant, the fruits on the remaining part turned out to be seedless.

How can this be explained? Science calls this phenomenon parthenocarpy – the formation of fruits without fertilisation. Today, this is achieved with hormonal agents. But our ancestors obtained the same effect mechanically – by burying the vine and creating stress for the plant. Amazing, isn’t it? Unfortunately, this method has also been forgotten. If the advanced melon farmers of Kokdala had tried it in practice, we might now have not only early watermelons but also a high‑value, seedless new brand. The times are exactly calling for such exploration and new knowledge.

Here, an inevitable and legitimate question arises: did they also try to make other stone fruits and seed‑bearing fruits seedless? After all, we all speak with admiration about seedless pomegranates and grape varieties that appear somewhere on the market or in some country. While editing the translation of the manuscript, I came across these passages and could not help but be amazed.

The secret of making seedless pomegranates and grapes

The book describes methods for obtaining seedless (pip‑free) fruits not only for pumpkins but also for pomegranates and grapes.

To make a pomegranate seedless: they split the pomegranate seedling to a depth of one gaz, removed the inner core. Then they closed the split, tied it with willow bark, smeared it with clean clay and fresh manure, and planted it. After it sprouted, they cut off the part above the split. As a result, the ripe pomegranate had no seeds in its grains.

To make grapes seedless: they split the part of the vine that touches the ground, removed the inner core, then closed the split, smeared it with fresh manure, and planted it—grapes from such a vine ripened seedless.

What does modern agriculture say to this? Today, we obtain seedless fruits through breeding. But, amazingly, our ancestors achieved this by mechanical means. Unfortunately, these methods have been forgotten, but if we tried them again, they would become a truly new experience in horticulture!

Three different colours of grapes from one vine – how is that possible?

One of the most interesting chapters of the book is devoted to grafting. It says: take three cuttings, each two gaz long, from three different grape varieties. Carefully split each one without damaging the core, then join them together, tie them with willow bark, and plant. When such a vine bears fruit, the grapes turn out to be of three different colours! Can you imagine? On one vine, white, red and black grapes grew together.

And even more interesting: if you put musk instead of a core into the vine and then plant it, the grapes smell of musk. If you put a laxative, the grapes themselves become laxative. It is impossible not to marvel!

How can this be explained? Today, such a method would be called injection or molecular farming – the idea of using a plant as a container to deliver medicinal substances! Nowadays, genetic engineers are creating plants that produce vaccines and antibodies. 500 years ago, the Timurids applied the very same idea in practice! It was no accident that we tried to produce a COVID‑19 vaccine in tomatoes – our ancestors seem to have imprinted this knowledge in our blood! This can only fill us with pride and drive us to move faster.

"Frightening" trees to make them bear fruit – have you heard of that?

Many of us have heard something like this, but dismissed it as a joke. But in reality…

If a tree did not bear fruit, the Temurids… frightened it with an axe. Yes, you heard correctly.

One man took an axe, ran up to the tree in pretended anger, and shouted: "I will cut you down!" Another man came, defending the tree: "Don’t touch it this year, next year it will bear fruit!" And the next year, the tree indeed produced a bountiful harvest.

What does modern agriculture say to this? Science would call it shock therapy. Any living creature that feels a threat of death strives to leave offspring. For a tree, its offspring are its fruits. Thus, a mild fright makes the tree bear fruit. Today, we are used to boosting yields with chemical means. But our ancestors’ simple method, which we often make fun of, is both environmentally friendly and completely free.

Transplanting trees to speed up fruiting

Today, we plant a sapling in one place and leave it there for life. The Temurids, however, did things differently. For example, they would dig up a walnut sapling and move it to another place. After a year, they transplanted it again. They repeated this three times. As a result, the tree began to bear fruit much earlier.

What is the reason? Constant transplanting restricted the central root and encouraged the development of many lateral roots. This allowed the tree to accumulate nutrients more quickly and to bear fruit earlier. Modern agronomy calls this stress transplanting, but it is rarely applied in practice.

Simple methods of protecting fruit trees from pests

In times when there were no chemical pesticides, our gardeners fought insects with whatever was at hand. Here are just a few of these methods – imagine:

  • Anzur (wild onion) – if planted under an apple tree, it protects against worms. 
  • Pig manure + human urine – left for a day, then poured under the apple tree – all worms disappeared.
  • Pigeon droppings – soaked in water, smeared on branches – the yield increased.
  • Sulfur, goat urine and sawdust – used together for fumigation – protected vines from mites and worms.
  • Dog manure and animal urine – sprayed on the tree – protected against all kinds of troubles.

What does modern agriculture say to this? Science has confirmed many of these methods – in modern science, this is called ecological engineering. For example, the alkaloids in anzur and ammonia compounds are indeed strong insecticides. Today, in ecological farming, there is a worldwide return to such natural remedies. But our farmers have forgotten these methods.

By the way, not long ago at a training seminar for farmers, I said: "Those who have an apple orchard – plant 3–4 tomato bushes under the apple trees, and you will have no codling moth." Or: if you plant white or yellow daisies (oxeye, cornflower, marigolds) around cotton and vegetable fields and between rows, then soft-winged pests such as the cotton bollworm will avoid the fields. I call for introducing such experiments. My father is a biologist; he once said, "If you teach this to farmers, you will get good results." Many, I admit, took this as a joke, but I still hope that the knowledge from the Temurid era described above will become a serious scientific lesson for our farmers.

Moisture conservation and water saving – a forgotten secret

Water scarcity is one of the biggest problems of today. The Temurids, however, knew how to save water.

For melon and gourd crops, they watered the land in winter and then covered it with straw. As a result, the soil required less water in summer. This method is the exact copy of modern mulching (covering the soil with straw or hay). In Europe, this method was "rediscovered" only at the end of the 20th century. But with us, many farmers still leave the soil bare and waste water.

For long-term grain storage, they lined an underground pit with straw, poured the wheat into it, and sealed the top with clay. In such a storehouse, grain would not spoil for up to 50 years! This is an ancient analogue of today’s modified‑atmosphere storage technology.

Today, such knowledge is used around the world in a somewhat modernised form – for example, the Xinjiang method of growing cotton under plastic film! It is very effective, saves water, and guarantees high yields. This year, it is being used on 325,000 hectares, and this is no accident!

The tradition of "ustoz – shogird" (teacher‑disciple) – a heritage of our ancestors and a requirement of our time

If we look closely at the practices of the Temurid era, it becomes clear that agronomic knowledge was transmitted mainly through practice – through the "ustoz – shogird" (teacher‑disciple) tradition, through family upbringing, and through daily work – from generation to generation. Elderly and experienced farmers taught the young, showing them in practice how to work the land, which crops to choose and how to fight diseases and pests. Thanks to this tradition, each new generation became more knowledgeable than the previous one, and agriculture continued to develop.

Today, on the direct instruction of our President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, this forgotten system of mentorship is being revived in agriculture. In particular, starting in 2026, a system has been introduced in cotton-growing areas, whereby more than 1,000 advanced farmers serve as direct mentors to nearly 5,000 low-productivity farmers. The goal is to turn knowledge and experience into the most effective tool for overcoming backwardness in this sector.

The most vivid example in this direction is the "Azamat School" established in the Mirzachul district. The cotton grower Azamat Sultonov, with his advanced methods, achieves a yield of 70 centners of cotton per hectare under desert conditions. In his school today, farmers from not only Mirzachul but also other districts are gaining experience. This is the modern embodiment of the "teacher‑disciple" tradition inherited from our ancestors. If, during the Temurid era, agronomic knowledge was perfected over centuries through this method, then today we can achieve great results in a short time by the same path. Thus, such instructions of the Head of State are not just orders – they are part of our historical experience, and this is clearly demonstrated here!

Conclusion: We are the heirs of a great heritage

Unfortunately, we cannot present all the methods and instructions in the book here. I recommend that every fellow citizen read the book and benefit from its knowledge. Because the monograph "Agriculture in the Era of Amir Temur and the Temurids" is not just a historical document – it is our spiritual heritage, which collects the rich experience of our ancestors in living in harmony with nature, in using land and water wisely.

Modern agriculture is increasingly dependent on chemical fertilisers and pesticides. This leads to soil salinisation, reduces water resources, and harms product quality. The majority of the methods from the Temurid era, however, are environmentally friendly, cheap, and understandable for every farmer.

In this regard, as the foundation of reforms in our agricultural system, we are implementing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) plus HECI (Humanity, Ethics, Creativity, Imagination) reform program. It is precisely aimed at restoring this rich heritage, harmonising it with modern knowledge, and passing it on to the younger generation.

Who knows – perhaps it is precisely these "forgotten" methods that will become the basis for an ecologically clean and sustainable agriculture in the future?

 Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov

Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Academician