Although about 95 percent of the staple crop production in Tajikistan is cultivated on irrigated fields, rain-fed agricultural crops are especially important for smallholder agriculture. Rain-fed crops correspond to the climate conditions in the project districts since they occupy extended areas that cannot be irrigated because of the topography of the land and/or the cost of establishing irrigation infrastructure.

Selecting an appropriate location is especially important in the case of cultivating rain-fed annual crops. In Tajikistan, summer months are hot and dry. The last rainfalls in spring usually occur between mid-May and early June. 

In addition, winter and spring precipitation have a high variability from year to year which stresses the importance of cultivating native species adapted to the climate.

Cultivating a diverse mix of species is highly recommended in order to ensure soil fertility on rain-fed land and soil conservation.