Dark Gray Forest Soils Research Articles

Assessment of the stability of spring wheat agrocenosis with application of <sup>15</sup>N and seed inoculation with biologics

The purpose of the research is to study the effect of various doses of nitrogen fertilizers and biological products on the functioning of the agroecosystem of spring wheat on dark gray forest soil. The work was performed in two tabs of the micropole experiment in 2020–2021, the scheme of which assumed the study of the following options: N45Р45К45 (background), background + Extrasol based on strain H-13 (standard), background + endophytic strain V 167, background + endophytic strain 417, N90Р45К45. When applying N45 and N90 against the background of PK, plants consume 46 and 42 % of labeled fertilizer to form a crop, respectively. When using biologics against the background of N45, the use of N-fertilizer reaches 51…53 %. 33…36 % of the applied dose of 1⁵N is fixed in the soil, when using biologics, the value of this indicator decreases to 30 %. When adding ammonium nitrate, 33…36 % of 1⁵N is lost, and when using biological products, losses are reduced to 16…18 %. The use of biological preparations for seed inoculation leads to the fact that after harvesting spring wheat, there is less mineral nitrogen in the soil by 0.47…0.51 g/m2, which indicates its best use by plants. According to the criterion of the ratio of reimobilized nitrogen to mobilized nitrogen (RI: M = 25…31 %) the agrocenosis of spring wheat, when applying nitrogen fertilizer and inoculating seeds with biologics, functions in resistance mode and the level of exposure is estimated as the maximum permissible. According to the rationing criterion, which is estimated in relation to the ratio of net mineralized nitrogen to reimobilized (NM: M = 2.24…2.98), the agrocenosis of spring wheat is in stress or resistance mode. The use of an endophytic biopreparation based on the V 417 strain leads to the fact that the agrocenosis of spring wheat functions in resistance mode at the maximum permissible level of exposure.

The effect of soil cultivation systems on agronomic and physical properties of dark gray soil and productivity of the field crop rotation link

The purpose of the research is to identify the most effective and preferable variant of the basic autumn tillage for inclusion of dark gray forest soil into the tillage system when sowing spring crops. The research was carried out in 2021–2023 in the conditions of the Chuvash Republic in the link of the field crop rotation "barley–peas–oats". Moldboard and non-moldboard autumn soil tillage methods were compared: plowing (26–28 cm) – control; cultivation (15–17 cm); disking (12–14 cm); without tillage. The tillage system was completed by surface early pre-sowing cultivation to a depth of 6 cm. During the studied years, the average soil density in the 0–30 cm layer was within the optimal values: after moldboard plowing it was 0.93–1.09 g/cm3 , after cultivation – 0.98–1.13 g/cm3 , without basic tillage– 1.05–1.20 g/cm3 . The average values of the soil porosity after plowing were in the range of 50.4–62.5 % and decreased with the abandonment of the basic tillage to 52.0–57.4 %. In arid conditions of 2021 growing season, the total supply of productive moisture in the 0–30 cm soil layer was 12–14 % higher after cultivation than after plowing. The analysis of the structural and aggregate state of the soil (0–20 cm) revealed an increase in the proportion of dusty particles by the end of the experiment after plowing from 3.9 to 6.9 %. When using a stubble cultivator as the basic tillage unit, the proportion of the lumpy fraction increased. The average annual productivity of the crop rotation link during moldboard plowing was the highest – 20.5 c/ha of grain units per 1 ha, after cultivation – 19.5 c of grain units per 1 ha. At the same time, plowing is the most expensive and economically unprofitable way of basic soil preparation. After cultivation with a KOS-3.0 combined stubble cultivator, the profitability of crop cultivation was significantly higher – 9.4–18.1 % after cereals in dry years and 96.9 % after peas under optimal hydrothermal conditions (for plowing – 8.3–4.2 % and 73.7 %, respectively).

Systems of basic tillage and weed infestation of the spring barley crops

In the course of research the influence of duration of exposure to different tillage systems on the weed infestation of crops and yield of spring barley was determined. Stationary field experiments were carried out in the Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture for Northern Trans-Ural Region – Branch of Federal State Institutions Federal Research Centre Tyumen Scientific Centre of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences – in the northern forest-steppe of the Tyumen Oblast. Observations (2018-2022) were carried out in the 7th rotation of grain-fallow crop rotation: complete fallow – winter rye – spring wheat – spring wheat – spring barley. The following systems of basic tillage were compared: moldboard, nonmoldboard, combined, differentiated, sweep and shallow systems. The soil of the experimental plot is dark gray forest soil, heavy loamy, typical for the zone by its characteristics. A mixture of preparations against dicotyledonous and cereal weeds was applied as a general background. Prolonged (during 35 years) application of basic tillage systems of different intensities in cereal crops in grain and fallow crop rotation using a mixture of herbicides against mixed type of weeding contributed to the formation of low and medium degree of weed infestation, mainly annual small-seeded weeds. At the same time, the indicator of total damage (the mass of weeds is 1.13–4.47 % of the biomass of cultivated plants) was low. The moldboard system of basic tillage proved to be the most effective in combating weeds. The highest weed infestation was observed in the nonmoldboard system (243.3 pcs./m2): in spring – 1.8 times more by number, in autumn - 4 times more by weight in comparison with the moldboard tillage system. When cultivating cereals in crop rotation with the use of complex chemicalization means, the possibility of using resource-saving tillage systems is justified by maintaining a low level of weed infestation and its harmfulness, the absence of negative impact on yield.

Erosion and self-restoration of soils on the Central Russian Upland

The article presents an analysis of the thickness of humus horizons of chernozems and gray forest soils, measured at more than a thousand survey points in three areas with an area of about 10 thousand hectares each in the northern (Oryol region), central (Kursk region) and southern (Belgorod region) forest-steppe on the Central Russian Upland. Th e measured thicknesses of the humus horizons was compared with the modeled thicknesses. Modeling of the thickness of humus horizons was carried out based soil erosion modelling and taking into account soils development. An assessment of soil erosion rates was carried out by WaTEM/SEDEM (rainfall erosion) and State Hydrological Institute in the Larionov modifi cation (snowmelt erosion), previously verifi ed on small catchments within or in close proximity to the study sites. Land use history was reconstructed using historical maps. Th e approach made it possible to model with suffi cient accuracy the average erosion losses of soils and calculate the average current thickness of the humus horizon. The obtained results of comparisons of measured and modeled thicknesses of the humus horizon clearly indicate the signifi cant role of soil development in the formation of erosion-accumulative structures of the soil cover. Insuffi cient consideration of soil development leads to a signifi cant underestimation of the calculated thickness of the humus horizon and, as a consequence, to an overestimation of the degree of soil degradation. The rate of development of chernozems and dark gray forest soils is about 0.4 mm∙year–1, which is consistent with literature data from case studies. An increase in diff erences between the modeled and measured thicknesses of the humus layer was noted in the series: chernozem - dark gray forest soil - gray forest soil - light gray forest soil. Perhaps the plowing of gray forest soils contributes to an increase in the fl ow of dissolved humus, as well as pedoturbations, which could potentially contribute to a measurement distortion of the thickness of the humus horizon and an underestimation of the degree of degradation of the soil cover in the northern forest-steppe.

Estimation of the soybean varieties of the world collection according to the trait ‘seed weight per plant’ in the conditions of the central Non-blackearth region

The purpose of the current study was to estimate the potential of soybean varieties of various ecological and geographical groups according to the trait ‘seed weight per plant’ and to identify varieties with high adaptability to the conditions of the Ryazan region. The objects of research were 33 soybean samples from the world collection, which differed in morphological and biological characteristics. The soybean variety ‘Sibiriada’ (Russia), zoned for the Central region, was taken as the standard variety. Field trials were carried out on dark gray forest soil at the Institute of Seed production and Agrotechnologies, branch of the Federal Budgetary Scientific Institution “FRAEC VIM”, located in the Ryazan region in 2021–2023. In order to characterize the adaptability parameters, there have been used such indicators as homeostatic index (Hom), coefficient of variation (CV), stability factor (SF); range of the indicator ‘seed weight per plant’ (d), standard deviation (σ); adaptability coefficient (AC); stability level indicator (SLI) and stress resistance (Ymin–Ymax), calculated using appropriate methods. There has been established that according to the trait ‘seed weight per plant’ the varieties ‘Georgiya’, ‘Snezhana’ and ‘Chera 1’ (Russia) had the lowest value of variation with Cv,%≤20.0. It was found that the varieties ‘Georgiya’ and ‘Snezhana’ (Russia) were the most stable to external environmental changes. This was evidenced by the lowest values of the coefficient of variation (Cv = 12.9 and Cv = 14.0 %, respectively) and high homeostaticity (Hom = 31.3 and Hom =28.9). The greatest variability and low homeostaticity were found in the soybean varieties ‘Vereteyka’ (Hom = 1.69, Cv = 58.4 %) and ‘Elena’ (Hom = 2.17, Cv = 50.3 %), which characterized the low adaptability of these varieties to the conditions of the Ryazan region. As a result of the estimation of the genotypes studied in the trial according to the triat ‘seed weight per plant’, it was established that the varieties ‘Georgia’ (Russia), ‘Snezhana’ (Russia), ‘Chera 1’ (Russia), ‘Garmoniya’ (Russia) were of great breeding value for improving adaptability and stability in the forest-steppe agroclimatic zone of the Ryazan region.

Organic carbon distribution between structural and process pools in the gray forest soil of different land use

The summarized data on the content of organic carbon (Corg) in the subtypes of gray forest soils occurring on the territory of Russia was presented. It was shown that the humus horizons of virgin light-gray, typical-gray, and dark-gray forest soils contain, on average, 2.16 ± 0.67, 2.42 ± 0.61, and 3.58 ± 0.95% Сorg, respectively, while the plowing layers of arable soils contain 1.36 ± 0.40, 1.71 ± 0.40, and 2.84 ± 0.86%, respectively. Structural (particulate organic matter 0.05–2 mm in size, CPOM, and mineral-associated organic matter <0.05 mm in size, CMAOM) and process (potentially mineralizable organic matter, C0, and microbial biomass, Cmic) pools were isolated in the organic matter of samples from different horizons of gray forest soils (Luvic Retic Greyzemic Phaeozems (Loamic)) under small-leaved forest and barley crop. The CPOM/CMAOM ratio in the upper soil horizons under forest and arable land was 0.60 and 0.26, respectively, and this ratio decreased with depth to 0.05 under both land uses. The sizes of the CMAOM, CPOM, C0, and Cmic pools correlated with each other and depended on the depth of the soil horizon, while the effect of land use on the pool ratios was found only for the surface horizons. The contribution of CPOM and CMAOM to the potentially mineralizable pool of organic matter in gray forest soil was 20–41 and 71–87%, respectively. According to the obtained data, the size of the C0 pool was almost equal to the annual amount of the heterotrophic CO2 emission from the soil. It was emphasized that determining of the sizes and ratios of structural and process soil organic matter pools should be important in the programs of carbon monitoring and recarbonization of agroecosystems.

Varietal characteristics of the new barley variety ‘Lyuboyar’ when cultivated with different sowing density

The purpose of the current study was to identify the optimized seeding rate of the spring barley variety ‘Lyuboyar’ to obtain an economically profitable yield in the conditions of the non-blackearth part of the Central region of the Russian Federation on dark gray forest soils of a mean fertility level. The trials were carried out in the conditions of the Ryazan region in the selection crop rotation when sown in “black” fallow in 2022–2023. The trial scheme included the study of 6 options: 3.0; 3.5; 4.0; 4.5; 5.0 and 5.5 million germinating seeds per 1 hectare. There has been established that the optimal option in terms of field germination and preservation of plants for harvesting is the norm of 4.0 million per 1 ha with 89.5 % and 77.5 %, respectively. The number of survived plants before harvesting, the number of productive stems, plant height, head length, number of grains per head and grain weight per head have a significant contribution to crop productivity (r = +0.727...+0.955). The maximum number of stems (924 pcs/m2) and head length (9.2 cm) was demonstrated by the variant with a seeding rate of 4.5 million, height (83 cm) with 5.0 million, productive tillering (3.1) with 5.0–5.5 million, number of grains per head (23.9 pcs.) with 4.0 million, weight of grain per head (1.2 g) with 4.0–4.5 million, 1000-grain weight (47.5 g) with 3.0 million seeds per hectare. It was found that with an increase in the seeding rate, the number of plants increases before harvesting, the number of productive stems, plant height, tillering coefficient and head length increase with r = +0.543...+0.889, but there has been a decrease in indicators such as head weight (r = -0.355) and, especially, 1000-grain weight (r = -0.752). The largest productivity of 7.05 t/ha was obtained with a seeding rate of 4.0 million seeds per hectare, in the second place there was 6.90 t/ha with a rate of 4.5 million seeds per ha. At seeding rates of 4.0–4.5 million germ. seeds per 1 ha, the highest profitability was 67.2–60.2 %.

Heavy Metal Contamination of Gray Forest Soil in Oilseed Agrocenoses using Mineral Fertilizers

Background: The purpose of the research is to study the features of contamination of dark gray forest soils with heavy metals and to establish the yield of oil cabbage crops as a result of the use of various levels of mineral nutrition in the conditions of the Non-black earth zone of Russia. Methods: The experiments were carried out on the dark gray forest soils of Ryazan region in crops of spring rape, white mustard and gray mustard (Sarepta). Soil sampling to determine HMs was carried out before the experiment. Determination of heavy metals was carried out by atomic absorption spectrometry using a semi-quantitative spectral method on a spectrophotometer in the laboratory of the State Station of the Agrochemical Service “Ryazanskaya” and the laboratories of the university. Result: The studied types and combinations of mineral fertilizers had effect on the growth and development of plants. The effectiveness of the use of mineral nutrition doses proves its high efficiency in studies with oilseed crops in the conditions of the Non-Chernozem zone of Russia. The highest yields, for spring rapeseed (19.3 dt ha-1), for gray mustard (13.7 dt ha-1) and white mustard (12.2 dt ha-1), were observed in the variants with the action of N90-120P60K60.

Комплекс агроэкологических мероприятий по повышению плодородия темно-серой лесной почвы и урожайности сортов озимой пшеницы

The article presents studies in the agrocenoses of winter wheat conducted in the conditions of the Ryazan region on dark gray forest soils. The productivity of varieties of winter grain crops – Moskovskaya 56, Ethane and their reaction to the application of organic fertilizers has been studied. When applying manure at the rate of 15 t/ha (the standard dose used in the farm), the yield increase averaged +3.8 c/ha (45.8 c/ha) for the Moskovskaya 56 variety, +4.9 c/ha (46.9 c/ha) – Ethane grade, to control (Moskovskaya grade 56, without applying organic fertilizers). The maximum increase in wheat grain was detected in the variants with the introduction of manure of 29 t/ha, where the increase in control was 56 – 11.9 c/ha (51.9 c/ha) for the Moskovskaya variety, 13.5 c/ha (53.5 c/ha) for the Ethane variety. Keywords: WINTER WHEAT, VARIETY, NON-CHERNOZEM ZONE, YIELD, ORGANIC FERTILIZER, MANURE, COMPOST

Почвенный покров и гумусное состояние пахотных почв Предволжья Республики Татарстан

The purpose of the study is to assess the dynamics of the humus state of arable soils in connection with the distribution features of soil types and subtypes in the municipal regions of the Volga region of the Republic of Tatarstan (RT). The territory of the Volga region occupies 1014.3 thousand hectares, which is about 15% of the area of the Republic of Tatarstan. The Volga region includes 8 municipal districts: Apastovsky, Buinsky, Verkhneuslonsky, Drozhzhanovsky, Zelenodolsky, Kaybitsky, Kamsko-Ustinsky and Tetyushsky. The results of soil and agrochemical surveys conducted by the Federal State Budgetary Institution CAS “Tatarsky” over the past 35 years are summarized. For the first time, arable soils of the studied region were examined for humus content in 1986-1990. (IV cycle of agrochemical examination). The determination of humus was carried out according to the method of I.V. Tyurin as modified by TsINAO (GOST 26213-91). It has been established that the soil cover of two municipal districts (Buinsky and Drozhzhanovsky) is dominated by highly fertile chernozems, and the remaining six districts are dominated by gray forest soils. A comparison of the distribution of the main soil types in the Volga region and in the Republic of Tatarstan as a whole shows that the region under study appears to be a miniature copy of Tatarstan: in both cases, gray forest soils are dominant, and chernozems are subdominant. It is noted that over 35 years, the area of arable land in the region has decreased by 57 thousand hectares, presumably due to the withdrawal of less fertile land from agricultural use. It is indicated that this circumstance to a certain extent stabilized the humus state of the soils remaining in the arable land. The weighted average content of humus in the arable layer according to the cycles of agrochemical survey of soils in the studied region varied from 4.42 to 4.82%, however, these fluctuations turned out to be statistically insignificant (r = -0.06). There was a positive correlation and the highest degree of dependence of the weighted average humus content on the total share of chernozem and dark gray forest soils (R²=0.96).

Оценка питательности различных видов кормов, заготовленных из кукурузы, в зависимости от уровня химизации и почвенного покрова Республики Татарстан

It is known that from the same corn plant material one can prepare silage, cornage, flattened grain or grain for fodder. Each of them contains completely different amounts of nutrients and a wide range of gross feed units. The research results show a direct dependence of the choice of method of using corn on the zonal characteristics of the soil cover, the existing level of chemicalization and the power supply of agricultural units of the Republic of Tatarstan. It should also be particularly emphasized the high efficiency of the integrated use of agrochemicals on leached chernozems of the Republic of Tatarstan. Despite 5 years of liming, phosphorite treatment, the use of zeolite, and the application of NPK with the expectation of obtaining 35 t/ha of green mass, 10.6 t/ha of additional products were obtained, which is 34.6 percent higher than the control. In this version of the experiment, agromeliorants ensured the production of 41.2 t/ha of green mass versus 33.8 t/ha with the application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers without prior liming and phosphorite treatment in combination with the use of a prolongator (zeolite) at the rate of 0.5 t/ha. It was also revealed that for the production of flattened grain or cornage with a gross harvest of feed units of 7.94-8.82 t/ha on leached chernozem soils of the Republic of Tatarstan, which account for 83,103 hectares of arable land, the integrated use of agromeliorants and calculated norms of minerals for corn is recommended fertilizers Liming of acidic dark gray and gray forest soils with phosphorite treatment and the addition of zeolite in combination with the use of calculated rates of mineral fertilizers ensures an increase in the gross collection of feed units in corn silage from 4.22 to 6.13 and 3.34 to 5.86 t/ha respectively.

Properties of dark gray forest soil in the cultivation of cereals according to various basic processing systems

The purpose of the research is to establish the influence of various systems of basic dark gray forest soil processing with prolonged use on the transformation of the most important fertility elements. The results of prolonged (1988-2022) exposure to processing systems in the grain-steam crop rotation are presented: dead fallow, winter rye, spring wheat, spring barley, in the northern forest-steppe of the Tyumen region of the Russian Federation. The basic tillage systems were compared: dump, non-dump, combined, differentiated, flat-cut, surface. The peculiarities of the transformation of fertility elements under prolonged exposure to basic processing systems of varying intensification degrees are determined. It was found that the long-term use of basic treatment systems of varying minimization degrees in conditions of complex chemicalization ensured the formation of water-physical properties, nutritional conditions and phytosanitary conditions in their values slightly inferior or close to the control version of the dump processing system. Tillage systems with minimization elements reduced the energy efficiency coefficient in comparison with the dump system against the background of fertilizer application by 4.5‑11.5%, against the background without fertilizers – by 7.7‑18.4%. The lowest decrease in efficiency in comparison with the dump processing system for both nutrient backgrounds was for the combined processing system – 4.5‑7.7 %.

Historical Context for Abandoned lands and land use in the area of Luvic Greyzemic Phaeozems of the Northern Pritomye (West Siberia)

The aim of the study was to investigate the historical land use and identify abandoned land aras of different ages within the area occupied by the dark-grey forest soils (according to the USSR Soil Classification of 1977), or as Luvic Greyzemic Phaeozems (according to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources of 2022) in one of the oldest agricultural areas of the southern forest zone in the south-east of West Siberia (Northern Pritomye). Location and time of the study. The field research was conducted in the south of Tomsk region (Tomsk district) and in the north of Kemerovo region (Yashkinsky district). The work with archival materials was carried out using remote access to archives and databases covering the south-eastern part of West Siberia. Methods. The search for ecosystems abundant for different time spans, as well as soils that had not been ploughed, was carried out by analyzing historical cartographic sources located in various regional and state archives, as well as in the public domain on the Internet. The found archival information went back for more than 250 years. Space images obtained over the last 60 years were also used for analysis. Historical sources were used to assess the history of land management in the area of the Luvic Greyzem Phaeozems in the Northern Pritomye. The field studies of the ecosystems confirmed the conclusions about their successional status based on the analysis of cartographic sources, for which a morphogenetic analysis of the signs of previous ploughing and the determination of the oldest trees age were carried out. Results. The history of the development of Luvic Greyzemic Phaeozems in the Northern Pritomye, in the right-bank part of the Tom River, between the valleys of the Kirgizka and Sosnovka, dates back 420 years. The first arable land appeared almost immediately after the foundation of Tomsk in 1604. By the middle of the 17th century, depletion and abandonment of some soils in the vicinity of Tomsk and the village of Spasskoye were observed. Then the development of Luvic Greyzem Phaeozems began in the area of the mouth of the Sosnovka River. To the east of the Tom River, agricultural settlements of military people on Luvisols emerged in the valleys of the Ushaika and Basandaika Rivers. The first abandoned lands in the area of the soils in question appeared in the first half of the 17th century. In the 19th century, arable farming became less significant, and a belt of predominantly deciduous forests formed around Tomsk. Forests, including cedar forests on th abandoned lands, formed near the villages. At that time, most of the area of dark-gray forest typical soils consisted of post-agrogenic ecosystems used as dry hay meadows and firewood forests. A mosaic picture of the distribution of lands was formed: small arable lands and meadows were adjacent to isolated trees and birch groves. Arable fields were used for up to ten years, after which they were abandoned lands. With the beginning of the mechanization of agriculture, arable lands became larger, the area of arable land reached its maximum. In the 21st century, newly abandoned lands appeared. Conclusions. Luvic Greyzemic Phaeozems that were not affected by plowing, as well as lands abandoned for varying time spans, were identified. The information will be used in further comparative historical genetic studies of soils.

Динамика сроков наступления вегетационного периода по природно-почвенным зонам Алтайского края за 1955–2020 годы

Global climate changes observed over recent decades have determined the need for more detailed studies of agrometeorological indicator dynamics affecting biological agrophytocenoses productivity; it is important to identify the features of their manifestations in a specific area. Altai region is characterized by a wide range of natural environments due to the combination of lowland and mountainous areas that accumulate and redistribute solar radiation and precipitation on the Earth’s surface to varying extents. One of the key agroclimatic indicators is the length of the growing season, particularly its onset in spring. Research focuses on assessing the dynamics of the onset of the growing season in time (the time span of studies is 1955-2020) and predicting the onset of the growing season for natural zones in the future. To identify a possible shift in the onset dates of the growing season for specific natural zones over a long-term period, we devised two time groups (1955-1990 and 1991-2020) in accordance with the observations from the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It was revealed that in the zone of chestnut soils of dry steppes, on average for 1955-1990 and 1991-2020, there was a shift in the onset of the growing season to an earlier date, particularly 9 days earlier. The zone of chernozems in the arid and moderately arid steppe, as well as the zone of chernozems of leached and gray forest soils in the middle forest-steppe, podzolized and leached, dark gray and gray forest soils in the foothills of the Salair ridge, demonstrate a shift in the onset of the growing season by 7-8 days earlier. Low dynamics during the onset of the growing season (5 days only) were observed in the zone of chernozems of the foothill plains, foothills, and low mountains of Altai in two subzones: chernozems of the meadow steppe of the foothills and low mountains of Altai and chernozems of typical and leached meadow steppe of the foothills of Altai.

BIOTESTING OF SOIL CONDITIONS AT THE TERRITORIES ADJACENT TO AIRPORTS

The development of civil aviation is accompanied by a constant increase in man-made load on the environment. The application of methods of bioindication and biotesting of anthropogenic and technogenic influences on the ecosystem components is one of the possible options for monitoring the state of the environment at territories subject to technogenic stress due to the activities of environmentally hazardous enterprises. To study the level of man-made impact of airport activities on the state of the soil (namely, phytotoxicity), at the territory adjacent to the airport "Kyiv" named after I. Sikorskyi International Airport from the upper and lower levels at different distances from the airport runway (from 5 m to 2 km) soil samples were taken using the envelope method. As a control (conditionally clean soil), a soil sample collected at the territory of Holosiiv Park (soil type: dark gray forest soils) was used. In total, six soil samples were analyzed. On the third day of germination the growth characteristics of Allium cepa seedlings were determined. Test parameters that were used to determine the phytotoxic effect: the percentage of seed germination, namely the energy of its germination, the length of the root and the length of the stem. The analysis of the obtained data on the germination of Allium cepa seeds showed that the lowest germination was recorded for the soil samples that were taken at a distance of 5 and 1500 m from the runway, which indicates an increased level of phytotoxic impact due to the activities of the airport.
 The greatest phytotoxic effect for the stem of Allium cepa seedlings was observed for the soil sample located at a distance of 5 m from the ZPS. For soil samples taken at a distance of 5 m to 1000 m, i.e. with distance from the runway of the airport, a decrease in the level of phytotoxicity of the soil is observed. Only when approaching the highway (at a distance of 1,000 m to 2,000 m) there was observed an increase in phytotoxicity of the soil again.
 Among the investigated samples of meristem tissues, the presence of mitotic activity of cells was observed in the meristems of root tip samples of onion seedlings germinated on soil samples that were taken at a distance of 5 m, 1500 m and 2000 m from the airport. The determined mitotic indices (MI) for these soil samples are as following: for a soil sample taken at a distance of 5 m, it was 2.9 %; for a soil sample taken at a distance of 1500 m was 2.6 %; for a soil sample taken at a distance of 2000 m was 2.6 %. The research results confirm the need for constant monitoring of the soil condition at these technogenically loaded territories, in order to increase the level of environmental safety of these territories.

Simulation of the modes of appearance of "salt frame" during drip irrigation

The process of fertigation, which consists in providing plants with minerals contained in irrigation water, is widespread, despite a number of negative effects. The overwhelming majority of studies are aimed at studying the spatial distribution of salts during irrigation, in the interirrigation periods and at the end of the irrigation season, the processes of migration and salt concentration in the soil with a decrease in moisture (drying) are practically not considered. The purpose of this work is to simulate the modes of drying of light and dark gray forest soils of the Chuvash Republic (Russia) after fertigation. The studies were carried out in the period from 2020 to 2023. Since the state of the soil before the start of drip irrigation significantly affects the drying process, the paper considers situations that allow it to be influenced in terms of reducing negative effects. Modeling the movement of soil moisture both during and after the end of drip irrigation makes it possible to identify both cases in which the formation of a salt «border» does not occur or the effect is least pronounced, and those in which the formation of areas with a high salt concentration takes place with high intensity. The identification of such regimes allows, taking into account the characteristics of the initial distribution of moisture, to carry out preliminary preparation of the soil for fertigation. The paper shows that during drying, salts can mainly concentrate in areas with a sharp moisture gradient, that is, at the boundaries between dry and moist soil. This is due to the fact that soil moisture, due to the resulting pressure drop, enters an area with an already increased salt concentration. The developed model makes it possible to analyze the effect of salt fringe formation according to given initial and boundary conditions in the form of moisture gradients, porosity, specific soil surface, irrigation intensity and duration, and salt concentration.

The effectiveness of autumn application of the herbicide Alistair Grand, MD depending on the consumption rates and phases of development of winter wheat on dark gray forest soils of the Ryazan region

As a leader in the development of high plant protection technologies, Bayer CropScience was the first in Russia to introduce the herbicide Alistair Grand, MD, specialized specifically for autumn use on winter grain crops. Experiments to study the effectiveness of the herbicide were laid in the fields of the ISA, a branch of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution FNATS VIM in the Ryazan Region in 2020–2021 and 2021–2022. on dark gray forest heavy loamy soil. Under pre-sowing cultivation, 1.0 c/ha of azofos was applied. In the phase of spring tillering, winter wheat crops were fertilized with ammonium nitrate of 1.0 c/ha. Herbicide Alistair Grand, MD was applied in doses of 0.8 and 1.0 l / ha (spraying) in the phase of 1-3 leaves of the culture. In the same doses, Alistair Grand, MD (spraying) was used in the tillering phase of the crop. On the control variant, the herbicide was not used. Two-year tests of the autumn application of the herbicide Alistair Grand, MD in the phase of 1-3 leaves and in the tillering phase with a rate of application of 0.8 and 1.0 l / ha on winter wheat crops showed its high efficiency in the destruction of annual dicotyledonous and annual cereal (common broomstick) weeds. Annual dicots were inhibited to 97.9% in number and up to 96.6% by weight. tenacious bedstraw – by 11.5–12.5 pcs/m2, wild spin – by 17–19 pcs/m2, field and shepherd's purse violets – by 5.5–6.0 pcs/m2, common broom – by 14–15 pcs/m2. Surveys at the resumption of vegetation and before harvesting showed the complete destruction of the common broomstick. From the use of the drug, an additional grain yield of 106.9–114.7% was obtained.

Productivity of corn Ross 140 depending on the level of the chemicalization of zonal soils of the republic of Tatarstan

It is known that one and the same corn plant material can be used to produce silage, cornage, milled grain, or grain for fodder. Each of them contains completely different amounts of nutrients and a wide range of gross yield of fodder units. The results of the research show the direct dependence of the choice of corn use on zonal features of the soil cover and the existing level of chemicalization of agricultural formations of the Republic of Tatarstan, which are considered in detail in this paper. Thus, in order to produce the ploughed grain or corn with the gross harvest of fodder units 7.94–8.82 t/ha and profitability of 78.7% on leached chernozems, which account for 38% of soils of the Republic of Tatarstan, it is recommended to cultivate corn using the complex application of agromeliorants and calculated norms of mineral fertilizers. Liming of acidic dark gray and gray forest soils with phosphorite and zeolite application in combination with NPK provides increase in gross harvest of fodder units of corn silage from 4.22 to 6.13 and 3.34 to 5.86 t/ha respectively. The high efficiency of agrochemicals application on corn crops and forage harvesting of different types of fodder taking into account zonal features of soil cover of the Republic of Tatarstan is also confirmed by economic indicators. The profitability of production of rolled grain reaches the maximum value (78.8%) in the variant with liming and phosphating of leached chernozem combined with the application of mineral fertilizers in rates calculated for obtaining the planned 35 t/ha of green mass. At the same time, on dark gray and gray forest soils as the yield of green mass increases under the influence of agromeliorants the total costs of silage production increases by 13.1 and 16.5 thousand rubles/ha compared with the control variants of the experiment (without agrochemicals). However, the costs of production of 1 000 fodder units are reduced to 9.9 and 10.4 thousand rubles respectively, provided that the sale price is about14 thousand rubles.

Comparative analysis of grain productivity and biometric elements of winter wheat varieties depending on the variety change periods

The current study was carried out at the Institute of Seed production and Agrotechnologies, Branch of the Federal Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Research Agro-Engineering Center VIM” (Ryazan region) on dark gray forest soil of medium fertility (organic matter content 5.60 %) in 2018–2022. The objects of the study were 9 winter common wheat varieties (developed by the FSBSI FRC “Nemchinovka” and FSBSI FRAC VIM), which were included in the State List of Breeding Achievements from 2005–2023 in the Central region of the Non-Blackearth part of the Russian Federation and divided according to the variety change periods, i.e. period V with ‘Galina’, ‘Angelina’, ‘Moskovskaya 56’, ‘Viola’; period VI with ‘Danaya’, ‘Felitsiya’, ‘Galateya’, ‘Anfisa’, ‘Boyarka’. The purpose of the study was to analyze the grain yield and biometric elements of its structural indicators in the winter common wheat varieties, depending on the variety change periods in the conditions of the southern part of the Central region of the Russian Federation. During the study, there has been established an excess of the average (by 15.9 %), minimum (by 27.9 %) and maximum (by 8.3 %) productivity of varieties of the last variety change period with 5.2 % advantage in realizing the yield potential (average 74.5 %) and adaptability coefficient by 17.4 % (average value over 1.0). The variety ‘Galateya’ has high values of productivity potential with adaptability coefficient of 1.12. There has been established that in modern varieties there was a decrease in the stem length by 5.9 cm on average. The shortest varieties were ‘Viola’, ‘Felitsiya’, ‘Anfisa’ and ‘Boyarka’ with 96–97 cm. There has been established that the varieties of the period VI experienced a stem augmentation on 12.7 %, number of grains per head on 2.5 %, grain weight per head on 11.7 % and 1000-grain weight on 4.2 % in comparison with the varieties of the previous selection. A significant contribution to the productivity of new varieties (r ≥ +0.700) was made by the traits ‘number of grains per head’ and ‘grain weight per head’. The variety ‘Anfisa’ had the longest head of 11.3 cm. The varieties ‘Galateya’, ‘Felitsiya’, and ‘Boyarka’ had number of grains per head more than 42.0 pcs., and grain weight per head of more than 2.0 g. All varieties of the last variety change had large grain, m1000 > 46.0 g, the variety ‘Galateya’ had especially coarse grain of 49.1 g.

The effect of mineral fertilisers and herbicides on the seed productivity of perennial grasses in Yenisei Siberia

On the dark grey forest soils of the taiga zone of the Yenisei Siberia, the structure of the weed component of agrophytocenoses of perennial grasses is dominated by perennial segetal and segetal-ruderal weed species, the proportion of which is 60-70%. Using Magnum herbicides in timothy grass Kazachinskaya 2 and Lontrel-300 in the crops of meadow fescue grass Kazachinskaya 182 allowed for reducing the contamination of fields with perennial weeds from medium to weak. Herbicides reduce 94% the weight of weeds from 1 ha while increasing the biomass of timothy grass by 30%. Against the background of fertilizers, the weight of weeds decreased by 85.3%, and the importance of timothy grass increased by 118%. Mineral fertilizers increase the yield of timothy seeds for three years of use from 3.64 c / ha to 5.31-8.62 c / ha and oatmeal seeds - from 3.22 c/ ha to 4.97-6.91 c /ha. The complete collection of grass seeds was obtained on variants N60P60K60 with the leading share of the influence of nitrogen fertilizers, the introduction of which increased the yield of timothy seeds by 125% and fescue by 87%. The introduction of potash fertilizers caused an increase in the output of timothy grass of the 2 and 3 g. p. by 160 and 190%, respectively, and fescue of the 2 g. p. by 160%. The sowing qualities of seeds characterized by germination energy, germination and weight of 1000 seeds of timothy increased under the influence of phosphorus and potash fertilizers.