METHODS OF INCREASING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF DEGRADED PASTURES FOR SHEEP IN THE ARID ZONE OF THE STAVROPOL TERRITORY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48612/FARC/2687-1254/007.4.18.2025Keywords:
pasture, arid zone, degradation, legume-grass agrophytocenosis, pasture rest, improvement.Abstract
The work on increasing the productivity of degraded pastures on erosion-hazardous lands of the arid territory should be based on periodic pasture rest, introduction of rational methods of simplificated and radical improvement of the degraded lands, application of pasture rotations. The purpose of the research was to study the methods of increasing the productivity of natural phytocenoses that lost their fodder qualities and the practice of their application in arid conditions. The research was conducted in production conditions on the degenerated natural fodder lands of the breeding farm “Druzhba” in the Apanasenkovsky District of the Stavropol Territory. It was established that pasture rest, even for 6 months, increased the yield of pasture grass by 3 times, and for 12 months, it was increased by 5 times, compared to pastures that were used unsystematically. Further pasture rest for 2 years increased the yield from 0,4 to 4,0 tons per hectare of dry matter, or by 10 times. In the experiment of increasing the productivity of pastures by simplificated improvement, the maximum yield during 4 years was achieved by a mixture of alfalfa, ryegrass, brome grass, and sweet clover, which yielded 70,8 tons per hectare of green mass and 14,9 tons per hectare of dry matter, which was 4,4 and 4,6 times higher than the control (unimproved plant stand). For the simplificated and radical improvement of degraded lands in the arid zone, perennial grasses such as crested wheatgrass, siberian wheatgrass, intermediate wheatgrass, yellow alfalfa, and yellow sweet clover are of practical interest. For the estimated yield of radical improvement of pastures in the system of pasture rotations, the feed reserve of 2,8-5,6 t/ha in dry mass can be taken. One of the main conditions for pasture land management is to determine the pasture areas in full compliance with the feeding standards, the number of animals, and the yield of the pastures.
