Virgin Land Research Articles

Творческие поездки художников и комплектование музейных коллекций Ставрополья в 1950–70-е гг.

The cultural aspect of artistic communication on the example of museum collections in the Stavropol museums is discussed in the paper. The relevance and novelty of the topic are determined by the fragmentation of cultural and historical research, including pictorial art in the Stavropol Territory during the Soviet period. The historical approach is used in the analysis of works from art museum collections. The events in the artistic culture of the Stavropol in 1950s–1970s are analyzed. It is noticed that the organization of artists creative trips around the region with the aim to provide them possibility for village life exploring and for collecting necessary field material was new at those period. The results of the trips were creating of compositions reflecting political issues of the period under review (development of virgin lands, active construction, reclamation). The main themes and ideas of works of art in which local artists reflected regional history are considered on example Stavropol museums collections. The materials of the research can be used both in museum trade and in studying the local domestic history of this period.

Restoration of agroecosystems in the Republic of Tyva

Until 1995, a special study of the flora and vegetation of Tuva agroecosystems was not carried out. This work is devoted to the research of features of overgrowth of abandoned arable land, species composition of vegetation, productivity, stages of healing and their duration, prospects of their use as forage lands. Purpose. To determine the main trends of fallow ecosystems in the course of succession: changes in the species composition of phytocenoses, a set of dominant species, ecological groups of plants, the structure of plant matter and primary products in different edaphic conditions, but in the same climatic zone. Methods. For the study of each succession, key sites on the initial (control) and successional ecosystems were selected, where changes in the species composition of communities, the composition of dominants, phytomass stocks and its structure were studied. The studies were conducted in the period 1997-2018. Results. In the sharply continental climate of Tuva, the development of agriculture without irrigation has not justified itself. In the 50-60 years of the last century there were periods of mass development of virgin lands. In the early 1990s, the area of land cultivated for cultivation began to decline sharply. It is shown that the fallow succession proceeds naturally and synchronously. Summary. In arid conditions of Tuva, the initial stage of succession (0-4 years) is weeds. The first intermediate stage (4-7 years) is marked on all deposits by the absolute dominance of wheatgrass and the appearance of dominants characteristic of a certain type of steppes. The second intermediate stage (7-11 years) is characterized in that all deposits are dominated by species of the original indigenous steppes. The late stage (11-20 years) is the phase of formation of terminal communities with characteristic sets of species for each steppe, including the dominant ones.

Soil suppressive activity as an indicator of its suitability for improved seed potato farming

The paper contains a description of the method, which allows assessing soil suitability for growing improved seed potatoes by the totality of microbiological characteristics of the soil. An indicator of the level of suppression of the soil microbial community is proposed as the main indicator of soil suitability, which is based on the species diversity of the soil microorganisms and its total suppressive activity against potato pathogens, in particular Fusarium solani. Among the six soil sites tested by this method at one of potato farms in Tomsk Region, virgin land sites, a site that had been in a fallow state for a long time, and an arable site that had been fertilized for several years were recognized as the most suitable for growing improved seed potatoes.

Fertility of agrogenic and postagrogenic chernozems of Western Siberia

In Western Siberia, agricultural land resources have been actively used for many decades. Each year, the anthropogenic load increases, although the chernozem of Siberia is considered the youngest relative to the European part of Russia. Therefore, a problem has arisen - soil fatigue expressed by a decrease in crop yields, despite the introduction of mineral fertilizers. To solve this problem, it is necessary to transfer part of arable lands of Siberia to the category of grass fallow, where the main indicator of fertility, the humus state, is being restored. The aim of the research was to study the dynamics of the humus content and its enrichment with nitrogen. The research was carried out at the station of the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry of the State Agricultural University of Northern TransUrals, which is located in the northern forest-steppe of the Tyumen region. The station was founded in 1968 and still exists. As a result of the studies, it was found that the five-year grass fallow is characterized by a slight increase in the content of humus in the upper layer. Humus reserves in the layer of 0-30 cm increased by 9 tons, which corresponded to an annual accumulation of 1.8 t/ha. However, this is not enough to restore the humus state of old arable chernozems in Western Siberia. The total nitrogen content in the five-year grass fallow increased from 0.18-0.30 to 0.24-0.36%, which exceeds the values of arable chernozems. After 15 years, the postagrogenic chernozem of grass fallow was characterized by a high humus content in the layer of 0–20 cm (7.8%) and nitrogen accumulation in organic matter up to 0.4% with the C:N ratio of 8.2–11.6. It has been established that over 15 years, postagrogenic chernozems of Western Siberia cannot restore the humus state to the level of virgin land analogues.

Innovative And Environmental Aspects Of State Regulation Of Environmental Management

The development of agriculture over the past 100 years has often led and leads to a deterioration of the natural environment, and intensive nature management turns into the destruction of nature, the fundamental basis for the development of agricultural economics. Powerful tractors, multi-tonnage harvesting and transport vehicles compact the soil, as a result of which it loses its natural fertility. Plowing the soil, aiming at moving the seeds of weed plants into the deep layers to weaken their competition with the seeds of cultivated plants, planted relatively close to the field surface, often leads to easy deflection of the upper layer, dust storms. In the United States and Canada, this phenomenon was observed in the mid 30s. last century, in other countries - in the middle of the twentieth century. In Russia, dust storms occurred in the 60s. after plowing virgin and fallow lands.

ВАДИМ ІЛЛЄНКО Й ЕВОЛЮЦІЯ КІНОЗОБРАЖЕННЯ

ВАДИМ ІЛЛЄНКО Й ЕВОЛЮЦІЯ КІНОЗОБРАЖЕННЯ

Historical aspect of environmental thinking and steppe forestry

Historical aspect of environmental thinking and steppe forestry

Присельские пастбища – важная кормовая база для животных индивидуального сектора

Abstract. The work purpose – to get information about the modern state of natural lands (rural pastures) which a cattle and sheep of individual sector are based on and to offer measures on renewal and maintainance of natural vegetation. Technique and objects of a research. The statistical analysis in dynamics of number of cattle and sheep, including on categories of farms is made. The geobotanical description of the vegetation is carried out on registration platforms of 100 m² to the O. Drude’s system. Determination of biological productivity of a vegetable cover was carried out by a hay crop in the same place (from 0.5 m² in sixfold frequency). The objects of our research are the village pastures. Results and practical importance. The analysis of a livestock of animals on categories of farms of Stavropol region is shown. For the last 18 years population in an individual sector, including peasant (farmer) farms and farms of the population increased by 1.6 times. Within the studied communities vegetation modifications with the dominating plant species are revealed: Achillea setacea, Artemisia austriaca, Poa bulbosa, etc. They are spatially unhomogeneous, on specific composition poor. The quantity of types on the registration square (100 m²) averages 24, with fluctuations from 17 to 28. An assessment of fodder potential of natural grass stand degradaded, extents of their degradation is given. Grass stand degradaded, has poor quality of a forage. In its structure up to 74 % of the not virgin land species which do not have feeding value: Artemisia austriaca, Convolvulus arvense, Erodium cicutarium, etc. Scientific novelty. Negative consequences of unsystematic pasturage of the cattle on the limited area of the rural pastures which are under authority of municipal units are shown. Restoration of the degradaded areas of rural pastures by method of agrosteppes is recommended. In its basis – use of seeds of wild-growing steppe herbs.

Introducing innovative farming methods in the adjacent territories of Russia and Kazakhstan

Attitude to nature is the basic value of the peoples of Eurasia. This is especially clearly manifested in the example of land use. The development of virgin lands in the adjacent territories of Russia and Kazakhstan led to the solution of the food problem, but with social and environmental consequences. Violation of the traditional integrity of human and natural being lies at their core. The authors argue that it is possible to restore the proportionality of their coexistence, including through the introduction of innovative farming methods as the basis for sustainable development of agricultural territories.

The effect of nitrogen fertilizers on the formation of root and vegetative masses of plants of various cenosis

The article presents the results of a study of the effect of nitrogen fertilizers on the productivity of the root and vegetative masses of various cenosis (virgin lands, fallow lands, arable land under spring wheat) in an agrolandscape.

Emission of Carbon Dioxide from the Dark Chestnut Soil in West Kazakhstan

The necessity of studying and assessing emissions of carbon dioxide from the agricultural soils is related to the important role played by the soil in their formation. Active release of carbon dioxide shows changes in the content of the organic matter in the soil and its biological activity. Carbon dioxide emissions can be influenced both by biotic and anthropogenic factors. Due to the negative effect of grazing and arable plots on the soil respiration, unequal emission of carbon dioxide is noted. The research was aimed at assessing the dynamics of carbon dioxide emissions from the dark-chestnut soil, depending on the nature of the soil use in agriculture. The studies for determining the carbon dioxide flow rate were performed according to the standard variant of the closed dynamic chamber method. The results of studying the content and emission of carbon dioxide from the dark-chestnut soil of the agricultural lands in Western Kazakhstan are shown. The content and reserves of humus in the 100 cm layer of the studied soils are low, and the soil is characterized by low humus content. The total annual flow of carbon dioxide from the virgin lands is higher than that from the arable lands but is less than that from the pastures.

Changes in prokaryote communities of southern chernozem under the influence of different farming systems

Soil microbiota or microbiocenosis is profoundly influenced by various physical, chemical, and biological environmental factors. Therefore, it serves as a good indicator of soil condition. With the introduction of new farming systems in agriculture, an intensive study and understanding of soil microbial community will make it possible to comprehensively analyze these systems including determining the degree of their impact on agroecosystems. The present study analyzed the structure of prokaryote communities in soil samples collected from the southern chernozem where different agricultural techniques are used, namely conventional, which involves plowing and a new method to the region, i.e., no-till farming. The outcomes were compared with the virgin land. The changes in soil metagenome were analyzed using high productive sequencing of 16S rRNA gene libraries. The authors found out that farming systems significantly influenced the changes in communities of prokaryotes of the southern chernozems, thereby creating conditions for the more active development of some groups of microorganisms while limiting others. A relative resistance to the effects of farming systems was noted for the genera Bacillus and Paenibacillus.

The effect of grazing intensity on the productivity and floral diversity of natural pastures of the Volgograd Trans-Volga region

Arid pastures, which account for 50-75% of the country’s natural fodder lands, are a unique natural territory of the Russian Federation. However, more than a half of the pasture areas, which are concentrated in the Caspian Sea region, are to some extent degraded. In Volgograd Zavolzhye, due to the plowing of virgin lands, overgrazing and irrational use of agricultural land, an outbreak of deflationary desertification occurred in the 70-80s. At present, the region continues to use its land resources unabatedly, which has led to the intensification of degradation and desertification processes on pastures and a decrease in their productivity. Feed-valuable species have disappeared or become rare. Coenotically and floristically full-membership pasture phytocenoses have become incomplete, biologically impoverished communities, so maintaining ecological balance, productive potential of pasture ecosystems and restoration of their biodiversity is a fundamental task for the region.

Environmental and landscape significance of steppe mega-projects

For the development of fundamental bases of strategy of rational steppe land use and its realization we analyzed the most significant steppe megaprojects - "Stalin's plan to transform the nature of forest steppe and steppe", the Virgin Lands Campaign of 1954-1963, Agrarian Reform of the 1990s. Both specific consequences of each project and their cumulative impact determining the modern appearance of steppe landscapes and their agro-ecological problems are established. The Altai Territory, primarily the Kulunda steppe, is considered a special arena of megaprojects in the steppes of Siberia, bearing all the features of the old-developed region, where the most positive effect of these projects was achieved. The interrelation between the main problems of modern steppe land use and the results of the considered megaprojects has been presented. The main problems of agrarian steppe land use have been revealed. Taking into account modern tendencies of development of agrarian and industrial complex three most probable scenarios of development of steppe agriculture landscapes are considered. They are neo-wildland, stagnation, and optimization scenario with adaptation of agricultural lands structure to natural-climatic conditions and requirements of market conditions, with concentration of intensive agriculture on the best lands and transformation of low-productive lands into long-term managed steppe fodder lands of adaptive animal husbandry.

Rites And Rituals Of The Bodo In Agricultural Operation

The Bodos are agriculturist. They cultivate different kinds of crops like Bawa, Ashu, Sali etc. during the time of summer season.1 No doubt, the Bodos are good cultivator and they are self dependent. In this regard Rev. Sydney Endle says that the Bodos are especially skillful in the construction of irrigation canals and earth-work embankments for diverting water from river beds into their rice fields and their efforts in this direction are very largely aided by their closely ethnic organization.2 It is stated that when they proceeded and settled in the valley of Assam and some parts of North East India, they had crossed their earlier stages of life and became nomadic farmer.3 In earlier time, when they practiced Jhum or shifting cultivation they always tried to find out virgin land which could provide more productivity. With the passage of time, they gave up Jhum or shifting cultivation and started settled agriculture with ploughshare and other allied agricultural implements. However, concrete evidence has not been found so far when the practice of pre-agricultural activities and Jhum cultivation had been abandoned by the Bodos and when they have started agriculture with ploughshare and other agricultural implements. Even today the majorities of the Bodos are cultivators and inhabited in the village. Whenever the rainfall threatens to be below the average, the cultivators with their elders go to the field to bring the water to the paddy field from the nearest river.4

Gender gaps and female labour participation in agriculture in Nigeria

Purpose The purpose of this paper is threefold: to assess the gender gaps and the patterns of female workforce in agriculture; to examine the level of household decision making among the principal males and females in the household; and to estimate the time spent by the principal males and females in the household by activities in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach The study made use of secondary data obtained from various sources such as published articles, research reports, unpublished discussion paper, policy documents, national and international databases (World Bank World Development Indicators, United Nations Development Programme and the ECOWAS-RAAF-PASANAO survey conducted in Nigeria in 2017), and position papers. The information gathered covers a range of empirical and conceptual issues relating to labour, share of women contributing to agriculture and other gender-related issues. The study covered 1,747 maize and/or rice producing households spread across 141 farming communities in 16 states in Nigeria using a multi-stage sampling technique. Findings It was interesting to note that an average male was older and had more educational qualification than their female counterparts. In the same vein, he owned more assets (virgin lands, other plots and buildings) when compared with their female counterparts and earned higher incomes from farming and other labour activities with the exception of trading. Furthermore, the result revealed females spent more time taking care of children, cooking and schooling than their male counterparts. It can therefore be concluded that a gender gap exists in agricultural labour participation with the males playing dominant roles as compared with their female counterparts. Analysis of women’s agricultural should not neglect the structural bases of their inequality. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by lack of enough data base on women’s and men’s engagement in labour force and on agricultural activities which can be analysed for policy formulation and implementation. Social implications The paper elucidates some of the possible social, economic and biological implications of changes in women’s work and their participation in agriculture in Nigeria. Originality/value The paper is original in nature and will add value to the integration of women into the development process in Nigeria.

Изменение некоторых физических свойств серо-коричневых почв Южной Мугани при длительном использовании

The article is devoted to the study of the water-physical properties of soils of South Mugan. Standard methods for assessing the physicochemical properties of the soil were used. The work was carried out in the period 2017-2019. The determination was carried out in the laboratory of the Institute of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry of Azerbaijan NAS. As a result, it was found that these soils, depending on the anthropogenic influence, have different characteristics depending on the anthropogenic influence and natural properties. Changes in the water-physical properties of gray-brown soils of South Mugan occur depending on the features of use. There is an improvement in agrophysical indices on arable soils under agricultural lands in comparison with untreated, virgin lands. The use of soil protection measures to improve the water-physical properties of the studied soils is recommended.

НАМАНГАН ОБЛАСТИДА 1950-ЙИЛЛАРНИНГ ЎРТАЛАРИДА АМАЛГА ОШИРИЛГАН КЎЧИРИШ СИЁСАТИНИНГ МАҚСАДИ ВА НАТИЖАЛАР

There is analyzed the problem of population relocation and internal migration in the Namangan oblast in the mid-1950s. The author points out that the migration policy,which has been carried out by the party and the Soviet authorites, was aimed the development of virgin and fallow lands in the Ferghana Valley and further development of cotton growing in the Uzbek SSR. The social structure of the resettled people of new collective and state farms of the Namangan oblast was also studied

The «second virgin land» performance: an attempt to implement the «super program» in the Orenburg Region

This paper discusses complex problems of the second virgin land performance livestock production development. The study analyzes specific conditions in the late 1950s when a massive campaign began; it was widely covered in the periodicals. The author and ideological inspirer of the new project was N.S. Khrushchev, he believed that the farms established on the virgin lands had all the necessary resources for the effective development of the livestock industry. In this regard, in the paper, special attention is paid to the study of a real state of affairs in state farms organized shortly before as well as their potential capabilities identification. At the same time, feature characteristics of the second virgin land performance on the territory of the Orenburg Territory were noted. The information given in this paper allows us to trace the dynamics of animal husbandry development in the virgin regions. We study the impact of the campaign on the development of traditional pasture and stall (stall-pasture) livestock, characterized by the main ways to improve production efficiency. We raise a problem of providing virgin lands with human resources specialists demanded directly in the livestock industry. The conducted research allows us to assume that the result of the second virgin land performance was a unique experience; however, the results of this campaign are mixed.

Some reflections on a global strategic culture issue

Drawing on the works of leading European and Russian scientists and scholars of the XX-XXI centuries, on the results of many international and national research projects as well as on my own investigations in such interdisciplinary realm as social ecology of the large cities of the world and social ecology in the digital age, I came to the following conclusions. The global strategic culture is a product of the New Times when the people began to realize that our planet is spherical not only as a natural organism but a social one as well. It meant that Europe as social organism has a space for its further expansion and enrichment into the virgin lands. The reverse side of the same coin has been confirmed by of atomic nucleus fission that showed the principled relativity of such notion as a ‘big’ and ‘small.’ A key role in the shaping of a global strategic culture has been played by scientific and technological progress on the edge of the XX and XXI centuries, technologically  developed and tested between and just after the WWI and WWII and confirmed by the testing of nuclear arms in the mid1940s. The essence of my concept of global strategic culture is its all-embracing and all-penetrating character coupled with a permanently speeding up its time-space parameters. I interpret the global strategic culture as a mean of survival of humanity together with his living environment and consider these features as the key distinguishing features of this cultural archetype. These features differs this archetype from all other cultural archetypes that have been characterized by a small set of very stable (unchangeable) signs.