Stripping as a snow retention method in the steppe conditions of Western Siberia

Abstract

The process of snow cover formation on the fields with different surface conditions was studied. The research was conducted in the spring of 2022 in the steppe farming zone of the Omsk region. The effect of high plant stand of cereal crops remaining after harvesting by standing crop stripping on the amount of snow cover and the volume of spring moisture accumulation in the soil as a reserve for increasing the yield in the steppe regions of Western Siberia is considered. The results of determining the height of snow cover on a fallow field (complete fallow), on fields under grain crops harvested by different methods: with a direct harvester followed by flat tillage; with a direct harvester without subsequent tillage; with a combing harvester at the height of the stem during harvesting up to 0.55 m are presented. In the course of the study it was found that during harvesting by the stripping method, the moisture reserves in the snow cover were 2.2 times higher compared to the stubble background, 3.7 times higher compared to the stubble background treated with a flat cutter, and 4.1 times higher compared to the fallow field (control). Based on the data obtained, the conclusion is made about the possibility of using this method to form the conditions for moisture accumulation in the arid steppe zone without additional measures for snow retention, which should have a positive impact not only on the yield of cultivated crops, but also on the agro-economic indicators.