As part of the country's efforts to develop the non-oil sector, the Government of Azerbaijan has set a number of strategic objectives. One of these is the expansion of agricultural land in order to increase crop production. Since 80% of the country's agricultural output is produced on irrigated lands, proper adherence to irrigation schedules and irrigation norms is considered one of the key requirements for achieving high productivity.

To investigate the agrophysical properties of soils under different land-use practices in the irrigated areas of the Shirvan Plain, researchers from the Institute of Geography conducted a field expedition in the Ujar district. The expedition team included Associate Professor S. A. Kocharli (PhD in Agricultural Sciences), Z.M.Valiyeva (PhD in Agricultural Sciences), E.M.Ahmadzade (PhD in Agricultural Sciences), Sh.A. Mammadova (PhD in Agricultural Sciences), and leading engineer A.R.Ahmadova.

During the expedition, infiltration tests were carried out for six hours in fields cultivated with wheat, alfalfa, and in a ploughed field within the study area. In addition, soil samples were collected from these sites to determine soil bulk density, natural soil moisture, and other physical and chemical properties.