Application of Zeolite on Natural Upland Meadow Polluted by Cesium-137

Abstract

Nuclear pollution of the territory occurred as a result of Chernobyl disaster caused the whole range of issues for agricultural production. One of them was the use of natural meadow ecosystems polluted by cesium-137 as hay fields and pastures. The standing grass crop of natural meadows accumulates more radionuclides than the standing grass crop grown on the soil treated by agricultural tools. Due to this, the search for available, effective and economically beneficial measures providing harvesting of products complying with standard values on natural meadows is important. The purpose of the research work was to study the effect of zeolite from the Khotynetskoe quarry on transition of the radionuclide from the soil to the plant on the natural upland meadow. For this, in August, zeolite in amounts of 0.5 and 1% from the top soil weight was introduced on the top soil of experimental plots. Once prepared, the concentration of cesium-137, agrochemical and physical and chemical soil values, crop yield were determined in them. During the research work, it was found out that application of zeolite in amounts of 0.5 and 1% to ameliorate the meadow reduced accumulation of the radionuclide in the standing grass crop (hay), increased Hr, S, EKO, V, pH, potassium and phosphorus and boosted up the crop yield of the hay.