Quality characteristics of agricultural land
Preservation, reproduction and rational use of land is one of the basic conditions for stable development of agriculture.
Therefore, the analysis of qualitative characteristics of agricultural land in the dynamics for years, and across regions is a prerequisite for management decisions.
Over the past decade has seen a steady increase in agricultural land area subject to water erosion. Is the growth of gullies, there is a decrease of humus content in the soil – one of the most important elements of fertility. The level of plowing farmland in the country remains high. So, plowed farmland is 77% (in 1960 it was 82,6%), and in some areas reaches 85-86% (Arskii, Baltasinsky, Sabinsky, Sarmanovskiy areas). Reduce plowing farmland in recent years is caused by transfer of about 260 thousand hectares of arable land in the meadows, pastures and forest areas.
One of the main indicators of soil quality is “normal” crop yield and cadastral valuation of agricultural land.
“Normal yield – the ability of natural soil fertility to ensure receipt of grain yield in the absence of any improvement (fertilizer, etc.) and average weather conditions (moisture, temperature). On average in the country it is equal to 19.0 kg / ha.
The area of arable land affected by the action of water erosion over the past 40 years has increased in 3,7 times and amounts to 41,3% of the total area of arable land. The greatest increase occurred at areas Predvolzhya – 34,7% and Predkamya – 30,6%. And the area of eroded land increases in areas with significant terrain slopes, and in lowland areas.
During this period Arskoe area eroded area of arable land has increased by 43,9%, Drozhzhanovsky – by 45,9%, Kama-Ustyinsky – by 44,1% – Muslyumovsky – by 53,3%. Increased levels of eroded land directly affects the reduction of humus content in soil. The most conservative estimates the annual loss of soil eroded from 1 hectare of arable land estimated at around 8-10 tons, with her blowin 300-400 kg of humus, a large amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other nutrients solid matter around. The content of humus in the soil for 30 years has decreased from 5,7% to 4,5%. The greatest decrease in humus content over this period is observed in Almetyevsk area – by 2,1%, Bavlinskoye – by 2,2%, Drozhzhanovsky-on 2,1%, Leninogorsky and Nizhnekamsk – by 1,8%.These losses far exceed the amounts made batteries in the form of organic and mineral fertilizers.
Most pronounced in the form of the action of water erosion is manifested in the processes of gully. Number of current vertex ravine is about 20,000, their length is 27.4 thousand kilometers. Over the past 40 years the length of gullies grew by more than 10 thousand kilometers. This is a great “sore” on the healthy body of land that are permanently eat mold created by millennia.
One important element of soil fertility is their agrochemical characteristics. As a result, a stable land area of the liming of acid soils as compared with the previous survey cycle (7-8 years) declined by 160 thousand hectares and is the 2007 – 1361.6 tys.gektarov, or 39.2% of the arable land of They 1090.4 tys.gektara – slightly acid, 241.3 tys.gektara – srednekislye and 29.9 tys.gektara – strongly acid. The highest level of acid soils in Agryz district – 62,9%, Aksubayevsky – 65,9%, Alkeyevsky – 69,4%, Tukaevsky – 64%, Fish-Sloboda – 72,9%. Currently, the weighted average pH of the country amounts to 5.6.
Major constraints to reduce the area of acidic soils include the application of physiologically acid fertilizers, high consumption of calcium and magnesium carbonates by moving the crops, and soil loss due to erosion processes.
Weighted average content of available phosphorus in soils is 140.0 mg and increased in comparison with the previous survey cycle to 14.0 mg
Weighted average content of exchangeable potassium was 136.2 mg.
One measure of efficient use of land is the degree of infestation. According to a survey in 2007 of 1 mln.846 tys.gektarov planting a mln.272 tys.gektarov or 69% in varying degrees, susceptible to contamination by weeds, including weed clogged tys.gektara 628.2 and 370.8 thousand ha – wild oats.
The most valuable agricultural land is irrigated and drained lands. Unfortunately, in recent years, their intensive use is decreasing. Thus, the total irrigated area in the past 10 years has decreased by 72.4 tys.gektara. Of the existing 169.1 tys.gektarov only 46.4 tys.gektarov or 27% are in good condition, 74.7 tys.gektarov require improvement, reconstruction and improve the technical level.
Of the 6 tys.gektarov drained land only 1.6 tys.gektarov is in satisfactory condition.