Solonetzic Soils Research Articles

Распространение и эколого-фитоценотические особенности Asparagus brachyphyllus Turcz. в Восточном Забайкалье

Asparagus brachyphyllus Turcz. is a rare species in Russia. It’s a herbaceous perennial plant with short horizontal rhizome which gives 1-6 annual shoots. According to the literature the species grows in saline steppe and around salty lakes. In conditions of Eastern Transbaicalia vegetation lasts a little more than four months from middle May to late September, fruiting from June to September. A. brachyphyllus is listed in Red Book of Russian Federation, it is protected in Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve. In Transbaicalia it is limitated by small area of habitats, narrow environmental tolerance, low numerity of populations, grazing (annual shoots are eagerly eaten by animals, especially in spring). A. brachyphyllus has eastern-asian steppe (in the narrow sense) type of distribution, the main part of area is in North-East of China and in the East of Mongolia. In Russian Federation it occurs only in steppe districts of Zabaikalsky kray where there is the northern distribution limit. During our many years field expeditions new localities of A. brachyphyllus in Zabaikalsky Region were descripted, information on ecological-phytocenotic features and populations condition at the northern area limit was expanded. Localities of the species were identified at South and South-East of Zabaikalsky kray: Argun area, Aga steppe and Torey lake surroundings; most of localities are concentrated near Torey lakes, in other areas localities are sporadic. A. brachyphyllus grows mostly in Achnatherum splendens and Achnatherum splendens – Leymus chinensis saz steppe communities on solonetz soils, also on soil complexes of solonez and solonchack, sometimes it occurs on solonchacks in hyperhalophytic communities with Kalidium foliatum, Limonium aureum, Suaeda corniculata, Puccinellia tenuiflora. In plant communities A. brachyphyllus appears as a species with low abundance and coverage less 1%; due to prostrate form of shoots they place in lower layer up to 10 cm. In few-species communities on solonchacks A. brachyphyllus has low abundance, and a little higher on solonetz. In last case both species number and density of asparagus coenotic population are higher as usual. For estimation coenotic populations vitality we used a complex of criteria: density of coenotic populations, projective cover of species, markers of generativeness. Numerous Torey coenotic populations most often have medium vitality while that of coenotic populations at Aga localities higher. About a half of revealed coenotic populations suffer temperate influence of livestock grazing which lessens vitality by trampling and partial eating. Some localities at Torey lakes area need special protecting measures.

New data on the spider fauna (Araneae) of the Penza Region (Russia)

Arachnological research in the Penza Region was conducted in the 1980s and in the mid-2000s only. Initially, a list of 112 species was published and spider distribution within five types of habitats throughout the region was analyzed (Pyatin, 1988). Later on, spiders were studied in four segments of the Privolzhskaya Lesostep Nature Reserve and the species lists for each segment were compiled (Polchaninova, 2008, 2015a, b, 2020). In total, 273 spider species of 23 families were recorded from the reserve. The segments are located in four administrative districts of the region. The present paper provides an annotated list of 71 spider species recorded for the first time from the Lunino District. The material was collected by pitfall trapping in 2004 and 2005 in five habitats in the Nature Monument Solontsovaya Steppe: meadow steppe on the chernozem soil on a gentle slope (33 species), steppe on the clayey soil on a steep gully slope (33 species), steppe on the solonetz soil on a gentle slope (43 species), sand and clay quarry (28 species), and bank of a pond (29 species). The most abundant was the spider assemblage of the meadow steppe (736 individuals) dominated by Pardosa fulvipes (62 % of total spiders collected in the habitat). Other spider assemblages were less abundant (minimum 243 individuals on the pond bank and maximum 324 individuals in the solonetz steppe), and their dominance structure was more uniform. The dominant complexes consisted of Gnaphosa lugibris, Haplodrassus signifier and Xerolycosa miniata in the clayey steppe (53 % of total spiders in the habitat), X. miniata, P. fulvipes, P. palustris, and P. agrestis in the solonetz steppe (60 %), X. miniata and P. fulvipes in the quarry (57 %), and P. fulvipes, P. palustris, and Diplostуla concolor on the pond bank (63.5 %). Thus, Pardosa fulvipes and Xerolycosa miniata were the most numerous species at the study site. A high abundance of both species was also observed in the Borok segment of the Privolzhskaya Lesostep Nature Reserve, which suggests similarity of ecological conditions in the grassland habitats of both localities. One species, Mastigusa arietina, is new to the Penza Region. Taking into account 40 species recorded by М. Pyatin (1988) but absent from our collection, the spider fauna of the Penza Region numbers 313 species of 27 families.

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ БИОМЕЛИОРАНТОВ ДЛЯ ПОВЫШЕНИЯ ПРОДУКТИВНОСТИ СЛАБОГУМУСИРОВАННЫХ ПОЧВ

Purpose: to study physical-chemical parameters of sludge and the possibility of its application as a biomeliorant for increasing soil fertility in Volgograd region. Materials and methods. The object of research is light chestnut solonetzic soil of heavy loamy granulometric texture, silt sludge of domestic waste water. The analysis of soil samples was carried out according to generally accepted methods. Results and discussion. Comparative data of various sludge sediments in terms of physical-chemical parameters allow for the conclusion that the sewage sludge processed by the enzymatic-cavitation method has optimal moisture content (11 %), contains the main nutrients: nitrogen (3.3 %), phosphorus (4.27 %), potassium (0.31 %). The content of organic matter in the sludge was 32 %, which fully complies with the specifications of GOST R 54651-2011. The data of the water extract analysis show that in the variant with the processed sludge sediment there is a higher content of sulfate anions (5.40 mmol/100 g soil) in comparison with the variant of light chestnut soil (0.30 mmol/100 g soil), and increased content of calcium cations (8.40 mmol/100 g soil) and magnesium (5.10 mmol/100 g soil). As a result of the study of soil samples, it was found that after the introduction of sewage sludge in soil, the content of organic matter was 2.28 %, while in soil samples without the introduction of sediment it was 1.67 %. The content of nitrate nitrogen ranged from 8.3 to 30.9 mg/kg, ammonia nitrogen from 4.1 to 5.7 mg/kg, mobile phosphorus from 82.0 to 102.0 mg/kg, exchangeable potassium from 385 to 392 mg/kg according to the variants of the experiment. The conducted studies of the content of heavy metals in soil show that no excess was found for all standardized indicators. Conclusions: it is advisable to use sewage sludge after its biological treatment as a biomeliorant for increasing the productivity of slightly humic soils.

Effectiveness of use of phosphogypsum on the solonetzic soils of Siberia and Ural

The problem of rational use of saline soils as applied to the specific region becomes one of the main problems in Russia as well as abroad. The article describes the potential possibility to include these soils for rational land utilization in agro-industrial complex system. This will allow us to broaden the degree of their utilization on ploughed fields, hayfields and pastures in Siberia and Ural. Area of these lands as applied to this territory is more than 10 million ha. Obligatory chemical melioration is required for using of these soils on the level of climatic soil type. Its carrying out using gypsum, phosphogypsum and other ameliorants-coagulants allows us to increase fundamentally the fertility of solonetzic soils with their following implementation as yielding agricultural fields. It’s important to note that influence of ameliorants-coagulants takes place up to 40 and more years and their dose is up to 20 t/ha for perennial grasses and 40 t/ha for crops. The mentioned regions possess mineral, productive and scientific resources for the solution of such an important problem in conditions of Siberia and Ural.

Efficiency of chemical ameliorants for reclamation of bore mud and solonetzic soils of Siberia and Ural

The problem of solonetzic soils fertility is still one of the most important in the country. The areas of Siberia and Ural make up about 10 million hectares. To improve chemical properties of solonetz, chemical method of amelioration is applied. It’s possible to use this method on the bore muds. Number of mud storage pits only in Khanty-Mansisk is about three thousand. On Yamal the situation is the same. As ameliorants-coagulants in the conditions of Siberia and Ural their natural reserves, wastes of mining and chemical industry can be used. The method of tubes was used for the comparative analysis of the studied ameliorants. Equal soil and bore mud samples with increasing doses of coagulants allow to assess maximal filterability of solonetz, bore mud and reveal their optimal dose. The studies have shown that choice of ameliorant-coagulant is mostly determined by the chemism of soil and bore mud salinization, and also content of exchangeable sodium in soil adsorption complex. As promising ameliorants-coagulants we should consider the wastes of chemical industry – phosphogypsum, and as raw material of mining industry – gypsum, carnallite, calcium chloride.

ЗАКОНОМІРНОСТІ ПОШИРЕННЯ ТА ЗАГАЛЬНІ МОРФОЛОГІЧНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ СОЛОНЦІВ МЕЖИРІЧЧЯ ДНІПРО-МОЛОЧНА

The traditional approach to the separation of the dry steppe’s solonetz in the most common schemes of classification of Ukraine’s soils is dominated by three types: salt-chestnut-meadow, meadow-chestnut and chestnut. However, the specificity of formation and the possible morphological differences of solonetz of lowlands (pody) and similar reductions, which are quite common within the boundaries of the country between the rivers of Dnipro-Molochna haven’t been taken into account in these schemes. The investigated chestnut-meadow solonetz belong to hydromorphous soils. They have been formed on the territory of the country between the rivers within the flat low-lying coastal shores and various relief reductions in the off-shore zone, with a significant degree of salinity of the soil profile. Meadow-chestnut solonetz are semi-hydromorphous soils and, in the region of the study, occupy more sublime areas, in particular the lower parts of the slopes of various forms of relief. The conditions for the formation of meadow-chestnut solonetz cause a greater leaching of their soil profile from easily soluble salts, carbonates and gypsum, which are accumulated mainly in the underneath-salolonetz horizons. Chestnut solonetz of the country between the rivers of Dnipro-Molochna belong to automorphic soils and have been formed within the elevations and in the upper parts of the slopes. The evolution of chestnut solonetz of the country between the rivers occurs mainly through their leaching of easily soluble salts, carbonates and gypsum, which in significant amounts have been accumulated mainly in the soil rock formation and in the horizons of the transition to it. Relatively large rounded closed downlands (pody) are the characteristics for the Black Sea lowlands. Solonetz is an important element of the soil cover of the lowlands (pody) of the country between the rivers of Dnipro-Molochna. The studied lowland’s (pody) solonetz should be divided into slightly salted and salty soils (solonchak) species. Salt species (solonchack) have been formed within the bases and lower parts of the slopes of the lowlands (pody) depression, under conditions of close occurrence of mineralized groundwater. They are distinguished by the high degree of salinity of the whole soil profile, the significant content of carbonates, the glueyness of the lower horizons, the absence or weak manifestation of signs of soliferous salinity of the eluvial horizon. Instead, soliferous species of solonetz are formed on the slopes of the lowlands (pody) with a deep degree of occurrence of groundwater and are characterized by a small amount of water-soluble salts, the number of which gradually increases with depth, a small content of carbonates in the soil profile, partially soluble with the upper-solonetz horizon. In addition to the lowlands (pody), the surface of the coastal zone of the country between the rivers is complicated by shallow and small oblate rounded closed declines, the formation of which is associated with processes of subsidence of rocks, the influence of sea, wind and temporary watercourses. Within such reductions, which were studied in detail on the territory of the Jagorlytskyi Peninsula, solonetz soils were formed mostly on the slopes, whereas the bottom soils were represented mainly by salt marshes (solonchack). The specific morphological feature of such solonetz is the surface eluvial horizon completely or partially eroded by sea waters, and a rather powerful upper-solonetz horizon of slightly sandy or sandy composition, formed by deposits of mainly lichen-marine origin. Based on the results of our own field studies, we have proved that the specific conditions of soil formation and migration of water soluble salts within the limits of lowlands (pody) and similar reductions of the dry steppe of the country between the rivers of Dnipro-Molochna lead to the formation of solonetz soils that differ significantly from those traditionally allocated in the generally accepted classifications of the soils of the region.

Soil cover patterns in the forest-steppe and steppe zones of the East European Plain

Abstract The soil cover of the forest-steppe and steppe zones of the East European Plain is characterized by diverse soil combinations revealed during large-scale and detailed soil mapping against the background of a traditional zonal sequence of dominant automorphic soils alternating from the north to the south and clearly displayed on small-scale soil maps. The composition, configuration and functioning of particular soil cover patterns are determined by the soil forming factors acting within a given area. The elementary soil areas (detailed scale) and elementary soil cover patterns maps (large scale) of the Central Russian, Kalach, and Volga Uplands are created by both traditional and digital soil mapping methods. Low-contrasting soil combinations with the background Haplic Chernozems (Loamic or Clayic, Pachic) alternating with zooturbated Haplic Chernozems (Loamic or Clayic, Pachic) on convex elements of the microtopography and Luvic Chernozems (Loamic or Clayic, Pachic) on concave elements of the microtopography prevails under conditions of thick clay loamy parent materials and free drainage. Under conditions of shallow embedding by low-permeable clayey sediments, the soil cover includes Chernozems or Chernic Phaeozems with stagnic features in some part of the soil profile or even Mollic Stagnosols. The presence of shrink-swell clays of different ages leads to the formation of Bathyvertic Chernozems, Vertic Chernozems, Vertic Chernic Phaeozems and/or Pellic Vertisols. The presence of soluble salts in the parent material leads to the development of solonetzic soil complexes consisting of Protosodic or Sodic Chernozems and different types of Solonetzes.

Changes in the Ameliorative Status of Irrigated Soils of Volgograd Oblast in the 21st Century

The ameliorative status of irrigated soils was estimated on the basis of reclamation cadaster data for 2001 and 2016 on 17 state irrigation systems in three nature regions of Volgograd oblast: (1) the Khvalyn clayey plain and Volga sand ridge in the Caspian Lowland, (2) the Volga and Ergeni uplands, and (3) the Volga and Don river valleys. Significant changes took place in the ameliorative status of these systems during the studied period: the total irrigation area sharply decreased (–31%), especially under irrigation by the local runoff (‒44.5%); the groundwater level became lower, and the area with deep (>5 m) groundwater table increased to 77.3%; and the areas of saline and solonetzic soils decreased by 22.9% and 19.3%, respectively. In many cases, the differences in natural conditions determined the ameliorative status of irrigated soils and the intensity of their changes. The changes were the greatest on the initially saline slightly drained soils of the Khvalyn clayey plain and the smallest in the Volga River valley. During the entire period of irrigation, some areas were subjected to secondary salinization and abandoned. Our investigations at the Raigorodsk plot of the Svetloyarsk irrigation system within the Khvalyn clayey plain in 2016 demonstrated that the soils subjected to secondary salinization in the period of maximum irrigation intensity (in 1990) are now at the stage of gradual desalinization.

Influence of Chemical Amelioration of Solonetzic Soils on the Presence of Heavy Metals and Radionuclides in Soil Profile

Influence of Chemical Amelioration of Solonetzic Soils on the Presence of Heavy Metals and Radionuclides in Soil Profile

Comparative Characteristics of the Geophagic Activity of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus L., 1758, Cervidae, Artiodactyla) in Yakutia in the Native and Invasive Parts of Its Range

Red deer (Cervus elaphus L., 1758) geophagia has been recorded using camera traps on five natural salt licks in Yakutia: the native part (two salt licks) and the expansion zone of its range (three salt licks). A chemical analysis has revealed that the content of most chemical elements is richer in animal solonetzic soils in the native part of the range than in soils of the invasive part. In total, 295 camera trap days were conducted. A total of 238 single and group visits of salt licks were recorded over this period. The stay of 300 red deer on salt licks, including repeat visits of the same individuals, was recorded. The identification of individuals by age and sex revealed only 55 individuals: 28 males and 27 females. The maximum number of deer in simultaneous geophagia was five individuals. The average duration of red deer geophagia (M ± m) was 13.8 ± 1.4 min (limit 1–98; n = 232). The duration of geophagia was 1.5 times longer in the invasive part of their range than in the native part. The intense visiting of salt licks by deer was registered in the darkest time of day, i.e., from 00:00 to 04:00, while the lowest number of visits was observed at sunset, i.e., from 20:00 to 00:00. The visitation of salt licks by months is higher in May–June and decreases from July. The sex ratio of individuals that visited the salt licks was 50.9% males and 49.1% females.

Assessment of Provisioning Ecosystem Services of Irrigated Salt-Affected Soils in Ukraine

Irrigated, withdrawn from irrigation, and nonirrigated areas with southern chernozems (Calcic Chernozems) and dark chestnut soils (Haplic Kastanozems) of different degrees of natural and irrigation-induced salinity and solonetzicity were examined within the Ingulets irrigation system in Kherson and Nikolaev oblasts with the aim to assess provisioning ecosystem services of salt-affected soils in Ukraine. The suggested system is based on the results of the eco-agromeliorative assessment of land for pilot areas and takes into account susceptibility of the ecosystem services of salt-affected and solonetzic soils to different kinds of reclamation. In most cases, the soils of nonirrigated areas were characterized by the satisfactory eco-agromeliorative status, and the soils irrigated by sprinkling and withdrawn from irrigation had the good or satisfactory status depending on the depth and salinity of the groundwater. The soils subjected to drip irrigation were in the unfavorable state because of noncompliance with recommended irrigation technologies. Irrigation with slightly saline water caused changes in the structure of soil microbial cenoses and disturbance of the optimal ratios between different groups of microorganisms. In these soils and in the soils withdrawn from irrigation because of the development of secondary salinization and alkalization, the numbers of major trophic groups of microorganisms (eutrophic and oligotrophic bacteria and actinomycetes) and the total soil enzymatic activity decreased. The assessment of susceptibility of the ecosystem services of salt-affected soils to reclamation impacts (chemical amelioration and deep meliorative plowing) demonstrated certain positive changes in the efficiency of soil ecosystem services, such as the productive capacity, the habitat of species, the storage pool for carbon, and the nitrogen fixation capacity. An expert ten-grade scale to assess the productive ecosystem services of salt-affected soils in Ukraine has been developed. It is based on eight characteristics. According to this scale, the areas with the good state of the soils are virtually absent in the examined territory; the satisfactory state has been assigned to 14 surveyed areas; and the unsatisfactory state, to one area with a shallow depth of saline groundwater. This approach provides for a more efficient use of the provisioning functions of salt-affected soils owing to differentiation of reclamation impacts on them and their adaptation to the functioning of biological systems.

EFFECT OF AGROBIOLOGICAL MELIORATION ON THE SALT PROFILE OF ALKALI SOIL IN EASTERN BARABA DISTRICT

The solonetz soil cover 21.7 % of Novosibirsk Region, or 3 686.2 thousand hectares. In the Barabinsk lowland and northern Kulunda, solonetz soil is seen as agricultural land, as it doesn’t make solid massifs, but occur as small spots among zonal soils (black soils, meadow-black soils and black earth-meadow soils). Regardless the vast area, solonetz soils fulfil 20 - 25 % only of the needs of the livestock industry, which is caused by low productivity in the natural state (1.0 - 3.0 c/ha of dry matter in the steppe and 3.0 - 5.0 c/ha in the forest steppe). The authors outline the necessity to increase solonetz complexes fertility and therefore improve precision technologies of farming based on various methods of land reclamation such as chemical, agrotechnical and phytomelioration with adaptive-landscape farming systems that preserve soil fertility and crop yields. Agrobiological reclamation is based on layer-by-layer soil treatment performed once per rotation. This treatment includes milling or distillation of the upper solonetz layer with further deep nonmoldboard loosening, as well as application of dry resistant, salt resistant and solonetz resistant annual and perennial grasses into the crop rotation. These grasses extract easily soluble salts and ash elements from the soil. The research results show the effect of agrobiological melioration on solonetz soils of the Barabinsk lowland. The authors observed the decrease in the number of salts in the soil profile. Particularly, the number of carbonates and hydrocarbons decreased; that indicates slight effect of soda in the soil formation. The researchers observed variation in pH from 9.1 (in virgin variant) to 8.1 – 8.5 influenced by reclamation. Graded tillage and phytomeliorants applied in the crop rotation resulted in higher fertility of saline soils and their chemical parameters equal to the values of zone soil.

Micromorphological evaluation of features of dry-land farming soils whithin kastanozems (chestnut) - solonetz soil complex in the Stavropol region

The polygenetic nature and polymorphism of the soils of kastanozems-solonetz complexes determine the difficulty of their field diagnostics and further genetic interpretations. In the current study, micromorphological features are used as additional diagnostic characteristics, specifying genetic interpretations for the soils of the kastanozems (chesynut)-solonetz complex (chestnut solonetz, chestnut solonetzic soil, chestnut soil, chestnut-like meadow soil) used in agriculture (dryland farming) within the Apanasenkovsky District of Stavropol region. An attempt has been made to correlate the results of micromorphological research, which was performed to evaluate the role of micromorphologycal investigation in clarification of macromorphological description, with data obtained through physical and chemical analyses. First, this study reveals that the Kastanozem (Chestnut) soil have the best correlation between macromorphological description and data of micromorphological investigation. In meadow-chestnut, solonetzic-type and solonetz soils micromorphological investigation helps to realize a set of pedofeatures such as complex multilayered coatings with layers of different genesis, Red-Ox features, etc. Finally, micromorphological investigation allows better interpretation and understanding of physico-chemical data.

Agroecological Assessment of Rice Crop Rotation Soils of the Sarpinskaya Lowland

Abstract—The phytomeliorative properties of accompanying crops of rice crop rotations and the degree of their influence on the soil fertility indicators in rice fields are studied. The experimental studies were conducted in rice checks located in the zone of activity of the Sarpinskaya watering and irrigation system in the Republic of Kalmykia, the source of which is the Volga River. The soil cover of the rice fields is represented by solonetzic light chestnut and brown semidesert soils in combination with solonetzes. To diversify the rice-degraded agrolandscapes, the effect of phytomeliorants on soil fertility of the rice fields was studied. It has been revealed that it is necessary to provide for the cultivation of accompanying crops of the rice crop rotation (spring rape, sarepta mustard, sunflower, lucerne sowing) with the use of residual moisture reserves after rice cultivation in order to improve the meliorative state and increase the soil fertility of the rice fields. An agroecological assessment of the soils of rice crop rotations has been carried out, which has shown the effectiveness of the meliorating influence of ameliorant crops, which consists in enriching the soil with organic matter due to additional plant residues entering the soil, increasing its biological activity, and improving agrophysical and agrohydrological properties.

EFFECT OF AGROBIOLOGICAL RECLAMATION ON THE SOIL ABSORBING SOLONETS COMPLEX OF BARABA LOWLAND

The studies were conducted in the northern forest-steppe of the Baraba lowland on the territory of Novosibirsk region. The genetic profiles of crusty solonets on virgin soil and arable land were analyzed. Soil samples were selected in 2015-2016 from genetic soil horizons on the depth of 100 cm, then drilling every 20 cm to the groundwater. The effect of long-term application of agrobiological soil reclamation method on solonets profiles was studied on the experimental site. The stationary experiment was laid in 1987. The study of the morphological structure of soil profiles and the physicochemical properties of crusty solonets subjected to long-term agrobiological reclamation showed that certain changes occurred in the soil profile. The columnar structure of the solonets (illuvial) horizon was destroyed by agro-technical treatments and plant roots. In addition, under the action of agrobiological soil reclamation, the physicochemical properties of the soil changed. It was established that the concentration of calcium ions in the soil absorbing complex of the solonets (in the illuvial) horizon increased from 27.1 to 64.5%, and the content of sodium and magnesium cations decreased from 38.2 and 26.4 to 32.4 and 1.1% respectively. Solonets turned into residual type from the multi-sodium one. The effect of agrobiological soil reclamation became evident in the change of the overall medium reaction. On the virgin soil, the pH value in the solonets horizon (45-60 cm) was 9.1, while on the arable land it was only 6.5. The agrobiological method of soil reclamation not only increased the productivity of agrolandscapes, but also had a positive impact on the physicochemical properties of the solonetz soils of Baraba lowland and their genetic profile.

Оцінювання продукційних екосистемних послуг засолених і солонцевих ґрунтів півдня України

Оцінювання продукційних екосистемних послуг засолених і солонцевих ґрунтів півдня України

Modern Technologies of Alkalized and Sodic Soils Reclamation

The technology of desalination of fine-textured soils using deep tillage, leaching operations and chemical reclamation agents includes the calculation of doses of ameliorants and leaching requirements, methods and timing of reclamation, soil treatment, selection of crops, and the need for fertilizers on reclamation lands. The stages of preparation of the fields before the application of ameliorants are reviewed. Initially, the fields are divided into lots, the location of loose ameliorants clamps is determined. The options for overall and selective land reclamation are considered. When conducting selective reclamation, it is necessary to locate the solonetzic spots and mark them with range poles. The options for cultivating the soil of irrigated lands characterized by increased density of the subsurface soil horizon of more than 1.4 t/m3 are reviewed. The most pressed are the solonetzic soils with a poor structure or without it. The most preferred methods of cultivating degraded soils (deep loosening or plowing) are identified, which are one of the necessary techniques to provide the greatest depth, degree and speed of soil desalinization. The options for leaching of chloride-sulfate loamy soils, chloride-sulfate salinization and soda salinization are considered.

Impact of space and rocket activity on soil cover in central Kazakhstan

The results of environmental monitoring and integrated assessment of the stability of brown, mostly solonetzic soils and solonchaks to chemical pollution and mechanical stresses at the fall places of the first stage of “Proton” launch vehicle (LV) in the Yu-2 zone (Central Kazakhstan) are provided. With the help of GIS technologies, zoning maps of the investigated territory have been created based on the criteria of soil cover resistance to the impact of space and rocket activity (SRA).

The effect of compost made of sheep manure on the first cut of a semi-natural grassland

In an experiment, two types of compost were tested on natural grassland in order to improve the productivity of a natural sward on solonetz soil. Both composts were made of on-farm produced sheep manure, but the second one was enriched in phosphorus. These fertilizers/composts are officially authorized and can be applied in organic farming. Zero application and three rates of fertilizer were tested (10 t ha-1, 20 t ha-1, 30 t ha-1) on 30 m2 experimental plots wit four replications. Dry matter, crude protein and net energy content for maintenance were measured and determined and their yields per unit area were calculated. We found that all the treated plots produced significantly higher yield than the control ones, and in some cases the yields were almost three times higher. However, the optimal compost dose varied, depending on the examined parameter. Based on the evaluation of the experiment results along with rainfall data, it was concluded that, with higher precipitation, the positive effect of the compost application was bigger. The difference between the natural and enriched compost is remarkable, but it has to be mentioned that even the natural compost showed good results; therefore, it is also effective in improving the fertility of grassland.

Moving salts in an impermeable saline-sodic soil with drip irrigation to permit wolfberry production

A saline-sodic wasteland of takyric solonetz is widely distributed across arid regions of Northwest China. The poor soil structure and low permeability (Ks < 0.1 mm d−1) hinder reclamation because the excessive sodium salt occurring mainly in the surface soil layer cannot be leached down by conventional leaching methods, including drip irrigation, without any assistance measure. The objectives of this study were: 1) to characterize salt movement that occurs within the planted ridge due to drip irrigation of varying amounts, and 2) to identify the optimum soil matric potential (SMP) threshold for drip irrigation in order for wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) to be successfully produced, based on plant survival and productivity. A three-year field experiment was conducted with wolfberry using drip irrigation on this solonetz soil. The soil was improved by creating shallow sand-filled niches beneath drip emitters. Five SMP levels triggered irrigations of 5 mm: −5 kPa (S1), −10 kPa (S2), −15 kPa (S3), −20 kPa (S4), and −25 kPa (S5). The improved drip irrigation system significantly facilitated soil water infiltration, and redistributed soil salt in the planted ridge. The leached salt accumulated increasingly at the surface layers of the ridge slope and furrow. Irrigating at higher threshold SMP resulted in lower soil salinity in the root zone. Crop evapotranspiration (ET) was affected by different drip regimes, and lower SMP resulted in reduction in irrigation application amount and ET. Deep percolation was always <8 mm during the three–year study. Soil salinity in the root zone at the end of the study under the S1–S4 treatments decreased to <8.9 dS m−1, the salt-tolerant threshold of wolfberry. At the end of the study, wolfberry survival rate and productivity were greatest for the S2–S4 treatments. These results and the greater water use efficiency found with the S3 and S4 treatments suggest using an SMP threshold of −20 kPa to trigger drip irrigation for wolfberry production on this impermeable saline-sodic soil.