ASSESSMENT OF BIOLOGICAL PHYTOMELIORATION OF FLOOD MEADOWS OF THE NORTH CASPIAN SEA REGION

Abstract

A large reserve for the production of forage in the North Caspian Sea region
are steppe pastures. In connection with the degradation of vast lands and their withdrawal
from agricultural use, the problem of restoring derelict land arises. The issue of preserving the
ecological balance of steppe phytocenoses has become of current importance, as a real threat
of desertification of arid pastures has emerged. In arid climates, the causes of land
degradation can be noted, such as increased erosion and deflation of arid lands due to their
irrational use, degradation of plant phytocenosis by zoogenic factors, topsoil disturbance and
resalting due to improperly organized irrigated agriculture. There are techniques that allow
increasing the pasture forage yield and the volume of hay, as well as make this forage highly
nutritious under the influence of the activity of perennial grasses and grass mixtures. The
possibility of preventing the plant cover depletion and soil cover erosion of pastures
contributes to the implementation of improved technological methods for cultivating
perennial grasses and grass mixtures, increasing productivity and improving their nutritional
value. In order to test the productivity of promising varieties of tall wheatgrass and
intermediate wheatgrass, a field experiment was carried out in 2022-2023 in the North
Caspian Sea region in flood conditions with various planting methods in the Kharabalinsky
District of the Astrakhan Region. According to the results of the studies, two types of
wheatgrass turned out to be more resistant to prolonged flooding in drought conditions:
intermediate wheatgrass variety Stavropolskii 1 and tall wheatgrass variety Stavropolskii 10.