The industrialization of agriculture in our country and the need to achieve high and stable grain yields require the continuous expansion and improvement of land-reclamation methods. This volume provides general information on the relationship between regions of terrestrial biological productivity and global population growth. In the article by D. I. Shashko, particular emphasis is placed on the necessity of concentrating irrigated agricultural production in regions with abundant heat resources and substantial potential biological productivity. Regional land-reclamation studies conducted under different climatic zones and geomorphological conditions help make it possible to assess correctly and predict changes in the reclamation status of a given area. In turn, this contributes to the development of an appropriate system of reclamation measures for that region. The volume publishes the results of reclamation research conducted in several regions, including Transcaucasia (both as a whole and by individual union republics), the Hungry Steppe, Rostov Oblast, and the Kulunda Steppe. The complex natural conditions of Transcaucasia make it necessary to apply a comprehensive system of reclamation measures. In his broad examination of the region, V. G. Volobuyev describes in detail the characteristics of its natural conditions, including topography, climate, hydrogeology, and soil cover. These factors determine the distinctive reclamation requirements of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. He also presents a list of necessary reclamation measures, including actions aimed at mitigating adverse climatic influences and combating erosion, waterlogging, and various forms of soil salinization. The results of reclamation studies in different parts of the region are reflected in articles by A. L. Karpeli, S. M. Mkrtchyan, A. V. Motserelia, and R. I. Papisov. The article by A. L. Karpeli presents a comprehensive summary of studies related to drainage, irrigation, and fundamental improvement of saline soils in the lowest-lying sections of the Ararat Plain. As is well known, the Ararat Plain is one of the principal agricultural regions of the land-scarce Republic of Armenia. At the same time, because of shallow groundwater levels and widespread soda salinization, it represents an exceptionally difficult reclamation challenge. Long-term studies conducted by the Armenian Institute of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry have demonstrated that these soils can only be successfully developed through a combination of drainage and chemical amelioration measures, particularly acidification. The article by S. M. Mkrtchyan is specifically devoted to vertical drainage systems on reclaimed lands of the Ararat Plain and summarizes research on the optimal operating conditions of vertical drainage wells under different reclamation settings. The drainage and development of 200,000 hectares of land in the Colchis Lowland are of great importance to Georgia, whose land resources are extremely limited, with less than 0.2 hectares of arable land per capita. However, drainage works in Colchis began as early as 1925, and experience has shown the area to be an exceptionally difficult reclamation target. During the past fifty years, less than half of the total area has been successfully drained. Owing to unfavorable climatic, soil, and hydrogeological conditions, the existing drainage network is unable to remove surface water adequately, while reducing drainage spacing to 30-40 meters is ecologically unjustifiable. Consequently, the Colchis Experimental Station initiated the development of new agricultural reclamation methods designed to ensure successful land improvement and the cultivation of a range of valuable subtropical crops. The article by A. V. Motserelia and R. I. Papisov presents the results of these studies and the successful application of the methods developed. The article by A. V. Yegorov is devoted to the specific characteristics of reclamation in the alluvial plains of the piedmont depressions of Central Asia. It examines the history of agricultural development without drainage on piedmont plains and analyzes the diverse effects of irrigation on soils in such regions, including the Hungry Steppe. The difficulties encountered in land irrigation in Rostov Oblast are discussed in articles by R. N. Smirnov, G. I. Andreyev, and their co-authors. These difficulties arise not only from soil characteristics and shortcomings in irrigation and drainage infrastructure but also from the quality of irrigation water itself, which has a significant impact on soil salinity conditions. Similar issues concerning several reservoirs in the Lower Volga region are examined in works by A. P. Biryukova and L. N. Nussbaumer. The problems raised in these studies deserve the attention of soil scientists, hydrologists, hydrogeologists, and other specialists. The work of I. S. Zonn provides valuable information on irrigation development, water resources, and methods of their rational utilization in the western United States. Methods aimed at reducing water losses in irrigation networks, lowering transpiration losses by plants, and utilizing mineralized groundwater for irrigation are of considerable interest to Soviet specialists. The volume also discusses a number of more specific issues related to irrigation, soil salinization, and the reclamation of saline and alkaline soils. The materials presented may be useful to scientific researchers as well as practical specialists working in the field of land reclamation.