The Application of Soil-Agroclimatic Index for Assessing the Agronomic Potential of Arable Lands in the Forest-Steppe Zone of Russia

An assessment of the agronomic potential of arable lands in the forest-steppe zone of Russia (by the example of separate soil-agronomic districts) on the basis of the soil-agroclimatic index developed under the supervision of I.I. Karmanov is considered. The agricultural areas (64) separated on the territory of Russia and characterizing soil-agroclimatic conditions for cultivation of major and accompanying crops are differentiated into soil-agronomic districts (SADs) with due account for the administrative division of the country. A large diversity of agroclimatic and agronomical conditions creates the prerequisites for the inclusion of administrative regions into different SADs. The SADs concept implies a detailed analysis of information on the soil properties, geomorphic conditions, and farming conditions. The agronomic potential for major crops in the key SADs in the forest-steppe zone of the East European Plain (Voronezh and Penza oblasts) is high, though it is 25–30% lower than that in the North Caucasus (for winter wheat, sugar beet, sunflower, and spring barley) and in Kaliningrad oblast (for oats). In Western Siberia (Tyumen, Omsk, and Novosibirsk oblasts) and Eastern Siberia (Krasnoyarsk region and Irkutsk oblast), the agronomic potential of spring crops (wheat, barley, and oats) is only utilized by 35–45% in comparison with their European analogues. In the Far East with its monsoon climate and soil conditions (meadow podbels, brown forest soils), the crops characteristic of the European forest-steppe (soybean, rice, sugar beet) and the Trans-Ural forest-steppe (spring wheat) are cultivated. Their biological potential is utilized by only 50–60% in comparison with the European analogues. The materials of this study give us information on the degree of correspondence between the soilagroclimatic potential of the territory and the biological potential of cultivated crops. This is important in the context of improving the natural-agricultural zoning of Russia and its information support.     

The influence of soil salinization on land use changes in azov district of Rostov oblast

A retrospective monitoring of changes in land use on cultivated salt-affected soils of Azov district in Rostov oblast for a period from 1968 to 2013 was performed within the framework of the creation of a problem- oriented system of retrospective monitoring of the soil cover and land uses. A higher dynamism of land uses on salt-affected soils in comparison with that on nonsaline soils was shown. A decisive role of the anthropogenic factor in the increasing soil salinization in the region was established. The areas of meadow ecosystems with participation of salt-affected soils considerably increased at the end of the 1960s–the beginning of the 1970s. It is argued that their development with a corresponding worsening of the salt status of regional soils was initiated by the wide-scale planting of shelterbelts in the 1940s and 1950s.     

Separation of agroclimatic areas for optimal crop growing within the framework of the natural–agricultural zoning of Russia

The separation of agroclimatic areas for optimal crop growing within is suggested within the framework of the natural–agricultural zoning of Russia developed under the supervision of I. Karmanov. Overall, 64 agroclimatic areas have been separated in Russia. They are specified by the particular soil and agroclimatic conditions and by the particular crops recommended for cultivation. The biological potential of these crops should correspond to the soil potential of the given area. A combined scheme of the natural–agricultural zoning of Russia and the separated agroclimatic areas is presented. It is argued that the information contained in this scheme can be used for developing landscape-adaptive farming systems, land cadaster, and land valuation; it is also helpful for terrain and remote sensing monitoring of soil fertility on arable lands and for soilecological monitoring.     

Plant invasions in the landscape

Biological invasions and changes in land-use are two components of global change affecting biodiversity worldwide. There is overriding evidence that invasions can dramatically change the landscape and that particular land-use types facilitate invasions. Still, these issues have not formally percolated into risk analysis of biological invasions, and only recently has the influence of the surrounding landscape on invasive species spread started to be considered. In this paper we review the literature on the influence of the surrounding landscape on the local level of plant invasions (i.e., abundance and richness of alien plants in plant communities). Our review confirms that there are more alien plant species and they are more abundant at fragment edges than in the interior of fragments. The decline on the level of invasion towards the interior of fragments is sharp. To a lesser extent, there is higher invasion in small isolated fragments than in large connected patches. However, despite their relevance, the influence of connectivity and shape of the fragments have been scarcely explored. Besides the fact that a site has more invaders if surrounded by a human-dominated landscape than by a natural one, the past history and the configuration of that landscape are also important. Invasion within land-uses is often associated with the historical legacy of changes in land-use, indicating that current land-uses might represent an invasion credit to future invasions. Accurate accounts of the invasion process and effective conservation programs will depend on such considerations.     

Grazing behavior and performance of beef cattle as a function of sward structure and herbage quality under rotational and continuous stocking on species‐rich upland pasture

An experiment to reveal functional response and heifers' performance to sward characteristics and forage chemical composition was conducted for 5 years in rotational (RSS) and continuous (CSS) stocking systems on native species‐rich upland grassland. We measured sward characteristics, forage chemical composition, heifers' grazing behavior and live‐weight gains from July to September. Mean sward surface height was lower on CSS than on RSS; grass and forb density, and white clover stolon length, were similar. Herbage on CSS had higher crude protein content and lower crude fiber content than on RSS. No difference existed in time budgets of grazing, ruminating and resting between stocking systems and season, while grazing rates were higher on CSS. Stocking rate was 1671 and 1332 kg per ha on CSS and RSS, individual daily live‐weight gain 683 and 652 g on CSS and RSS. Gain per ha was 20 kg higher on CSS. Results suggested stocking systems on native species‐rich grassland had no effect on activity time budgets or animal performance. Both RSS and CSS allow similar outputs for stocking rates in terms of individual daily live‐weight gain. Key parameters determining heifers' behavior and performance were sward height, grass and forb density in the sward, and content of crude fiber and protein in forage.     

State soil map of the Russian federation: An ArcInfo version

The results of the first stage of works on the creation of a digital version of the State Soil Map (SSM) in vector and raster formats are discussed. The inventory of all the sheets of the SSM has been performed. The map has been vectorized in strict correspondence to the scale and projections of the initial map sheets in paper format; i.e., the digitized version of the map exactly reproduces the soil polygons shown on the original map sheets. The methods and challenges of digital soil cartography are considered. With respect to the SSM, the importance of two major advantages of the digitized version of this map is emphasized: (a) the preservation of the initial materials in the new electronic formats and (b) the possibility to improve the map with the use of new materials, including satellite images, digital elevation models, and various thematic maps after the transformation of their scales and projections. The analysis of the SSM in the vector format makes it possible to systematize and formulate the major problems and difficulties related to this project and to suggest the particular technologies and methods of their solution; certain directions requiring the elaboration of new methods are outlined. The final goal of the project on the development of the digital version of the SSM is the creation of a unified consistent soil map of Russia on a scale of 1: 1 M.     

Effects of nutrient availability on performance and mortality of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rumex obtusifolius</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">R. crispus</Emphasis> in unmanaged grassland

Several authors record high mortality of the weedy species Rumex obtusifolius in unmanaged grasslands, but there have never been any studies on how the performance and mortality of R. obtusifolius and R. crispus are affected by different nutrient availability in unmanaged temperate grasslands. To investigate this question, we established a seedlings transplantation and fertiliser experiment on unmanaged Dactylis glomerata grassland in Czech Republic. We monitored plant height, number of leaves per plant, fertility and mortality of transplanted R. obtusifolius and R. crispus plants, from 2008 to 2011, in an unfertilised (U) and a fertilised (F) treatment (manure applied in 2008 at the rate of 200 kg of nitrogen, 42 kg of phosphorus and 230 kg of potassium per ha). In 2010, taller plants of both species were recorded in treatment F than in treatment U, but there was no effect of treatment on the number of leaves. In 2010, fertility for both species was 50% in treatment F, but only 20% for R. obtusifolius and 10% for R. crispus in treatment U. Over 4 years, no mortality of R. obtusifolius in treatment F contrasted with 30% mortality in treatment U. In the case of R. crispus, mortality was 50% in treatment F and 28% in treatment U. An increase in nutrient availability can decrease mortality of R. obtusifolius plants in grasslands, but increase mortality of R. crispus. It seems that leaving grassland unmanaged for several years is only an effective strategy for control of R. obtusifolius under conditions of low nutrient availability.     

Biological control of Rumex obtusifolius and Rumex crispus by goat grazing

Rumex obtusifolius and Rumex crispus are problematic grassland weedy species, particularly under conditions of organic farming. They are avoided by cattle and horses, but they can be grazed by goats. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of continuous goat grazing of moderate intensity on R. obtusifolius and R. crispus control. In 2008, 40 seedlings of each species were transplanted into pasture that was grazed by goats (crossbreed Czech white × Czech brown) on the target sward height of 7–10 cm. The number of leaves, proportion of grazed leaves and mortality of plants were monitored over the following 4 years. The number of leaves per plant was higher for R. obtusifolius than for R. crispus. The maximal number of leaves per plant of R. obtusifolius and R. crispus was 10 and 5, respectively. The proportion of grazed leaves was generally higher for R. obtusifolius than for R. crispus and ranged from 10% to 80%. No fertile plant was recorded during the experiment, as goat grazing totally prevented the flowering of both species. The level of mortality of the plants at the start of the fourth grazing season was 70% and 87% for R. obtusifolius and R. crispus, respectively, and no plant survived the fourth grazing season. It was concluded that continuous goat grazing of a moderate intensity that is carried out over 4 years seems to be an effective method for the non‐chemical control of R. obtusifolius and R. crispus in grassland.     

Effect of soil chemical properties on growth,foliation and nutrition of Norway spruce stand affected by yellowing in the Bohemian Forest Mts., Czech Republic

In 1998, a fertilizer experiment aiming to investigate the effects of slow-release N, P, K and Mg fertilizer (SILVAMIX Mg NPK^®) on a 60-year-old spruce stand with symptoms of yellowing was established. In this paper, trees were selected to investigate the relation between annual diameter increment, yellowing, foliation, needle and soil chemical properties: ten from the fertilized treatment (F), ten green trees from the control (CG) and ten yellow trees from the control (CY). CG and CY trees were growing in close proximity at a distance of only several meters apart under the same soil conditions. In treatment F, increased annual diameter increment, improved foliation, needle Mg concentration, plant-available Mg and P concentrations in the soil and absence of yellow trees were recorded 7 years after a single application of the fertilizer. During the last 15 years, annual growth increment and foliation of CY trees have continuously decreased while relatively stable values were recorded for CG trees and increased for F trees. In 2006, CG and CY trees differed significantly in Mg concentration in needles, foliation, yellowing and annual diameter increment. Although differences in soil chemical properties between CG and CY treatments were not significant, lower concentrations of plant-available Mg²⁺ and higher concentrations of H⁺ and Al³⁺ were found in soils under CY trees. There was a negative correlation between soil concentration of Mg and yellowing, but this correlation was relatively weak, indicating that there is no simple relation between soil and needle concentrations of Mg. In the investigated locality, the “new type” of yellow tree decline has been a long-term gradual process.     

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth potential in the Slovak rural landscape

By the application of geographic information system (GIS) based on existing databases on soil characteristics, it is possible to quantify and assess categories of soil suitability important for crop cultivation. In this article we demonstrate such methods for winter wheat. The objective was to differentiate the Slovak rural landscape with respect to the possibility of effective winter wheat cultivation. The differentiation was based on soil climatic and production economic parameters. For soil categorization, correlation relationships between the site properties (soil and climatic conditions) and crop biological and agro-technical requirements were considered. The prediction was subsequently interpolated into four suitability categories: soils not suitable for wheat cultivation, less suitable soils, suitable soils, and very suitable soils. The database was developed and each area was added to it as well as the particular category of suitability for wheat cultivation. By using the GIS distribution in Slovakia, the maps of soil suitability categories for wheat cultivation were generated. In Slovakia, 29% of farmland was found to be very suitable for wheat cultivation, 25% suitable, 9% less suitable and 37% non-suitable by our calculations. These categories are characterized in detail and specified from the point of view of geographic, soil, climatic, production, economic and energetic parameters.