Work

Agroecological assessment of arable soils in the southwestern part of the foreststeppe zone of the forest steppe zone of the Central Black Earth region of Russia

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The aim of the following research paper was to evaluate the agro-ecological state of arable soils, located in the Central Black Earth forest-steppe zone with the Belgorod region as an example. The state agro-ecological analysis of soils, conducted using prevalent methods by the agrochemical service of Russia was used as a primary source. On average, about 99.4 kg/ha of mineral and 6.3 t/ha of organic fertilizers were applied during the 9th cycle of the agrochemical survey (2010–2014). During the 11th cycle (2019–2022), a 14.8 % increase of mineral fertilizers was introduced, thereby making 114.1 kg/ha, and 66.7 % increase of organic fertilizers, making 10.5 t/ha. In relation to the 9th cycle, the 11th one was accompanied by a 23.3 % decline in the quantity of acidic soils from 60.9 to 37.6 %, which included a decrease of 14.1 % (from 18.2 to 4.1 %) in the acidity of medium acidic soils. The weighted average mean of organic matter in soils increased by 0.3 %, from 5.0 to 5.3 %. The average weighted mean of mobile forms of potassium displayed an increase of 11 mg/kg, from 152 to 163 mg/kg, while the mobile forms of phosphorus were fairly stable at 146 mg/kg in the 11th cycle. Share of soils low in mobile forms of sulfur decreased by 10.2 %, from 95.1 to 84.9 %, and manganese by 15.7 %, from 55.3 to 39.6 %. The concentrations of mobile zinc, copper and cobalt mostly remained unchanged, with soils, that contained low traces of these elements being at 97.4; 98.8 and 93.1 %, respectively, in the 11th cycle. Winter wheat, maize, sunflower, and soybean yields increased by 45.6; 39.7; 39.0 and 26.1 %, and in the eleventh cycle made 5.40; 7.50; 3.03 and 2.08 t/ha, respectively, within the achieved levels of soil fertility and usage of fertilizer.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Agrarian Series

DOI: 10.29235/1817-7204-2024-62-4-288-302

Authors: S. V. Lukin, A. V. Surinov

Institution: Belgorod National Research University

Language: English

Topic: Agricultural Science and Fertilization

Subfield: Soil Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Zero hunger

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Russian Science Foundation