DIRECT SEEDING – A TECHNOLOGY THAT RESTORES DEGRADED PROPERTIES OF CHERNOZEMS

Abstract

The relevance of using direct seeding (no-till) in agriculture is based on the ability of the technology to restore the degraded properties of chernozems, which were lost in the process of steppe development. The purpose of the research is to evaluate the role of direct seeding technology in conservation agriculture of chernozem soils, which is based on restoring degraded soil properties and increasing their resistance to environmental stress in the manner of natural ecosystems. Using the example of typical and ordinary chernozems, which are located, respectively, in the Kursk region and the Stavropol Territory, the results of 8–12 years of experiments on changing the morphological properties, structure and content of organic matter in these soils are considered. The obtained results in direct seeding, compared to arable soils, mainly reflect trends in improving properties. Moreover, the restoration of degraded properties occurs according to a regional feature and depends on natural features in the zone of their formation, determining the main direction and rate of restoration of the properties of degraded chernozems. The change in technology to direct seeding is aimed primarily at protecting against erosion, which is performed by plant residues and cover crops, and at restoring the structure and water regime of soils. As a result, the resistance of soil aggregates to water erosion increases, but a comparatively long process of humus accumulation is noted in comparison to typical chernozems. Therefore, in typical chernozems in direct seeding, the process of humus formation is dominant, while in ordinary chernozems it is the increase in moisture reserves, which is very important for the arid Stavropol Territory. Directly or indirectly, the cessation of cultivation adapts agricultural soils to changing conditions of soil formation, close to natural ones, in which natural ecosystems are formed.