J. Balkhi research and production test site was organized in April 1966 on the basis of the Moscow expedition of the branch of the VNIIGiM named after A. N. Kostyakova. The main task is to study the properties of loess collapsible soils, the development of slope lands during their irrigation in various ways (synchronous impulse and under-crown sprinkling, drip and low-pressure local), consideration of the reclamation state and technology for the preparation of irrigated lands on collapsible slope soils.
On the basis of VNIIGiM expeditions, research was carried out on J. Balkhi landfill for the preparation of subsidence foundations of hydraulic structures and testing of new methods and techniques of irrigation. The landfill was created by the Ministry of Water Resources of the Tajik SSR under the guidance of leading specialists from VNIIGiM. The Tajik branch continued the research begun by VNIIGiM, and developed many areas together with the head institute. The landfill was assigned tasks for the development and implementation in the conditions of the Vakhsh valley:
- perfect technology, methods and modes of irrigation of agricultural crops and programming of their harvest;
- new progressive methods of irrigation, including on slopes and other inconvenient lands;
- irrigation regime and technology for subtropical crops;
- technologies for the construction of reclamation systems and structures on structurally unstable collapsible soils;
- technologies for the preparation of hard-to-develop lands for irrigation and methods of their development;
- modern methods for assessing the reclamation state, technology for hydrogeological – reclamation control of irrigated lands and the construction of drainage;
- methods of forecasting the natural situation in connection with land reclamation and environmental issues;