FERTILITY AND PLANT PRODUCTION ON THE ERODED SOILS IN THE FOREST-STEPPE ZONE OF WEST SIBERIA

References: 14th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2014, www.sgem.org, SGEM2014 Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7105-14-8 / ISSN 1314-2704, June 19-25, 2014, Book 3, Vol. 2, 139-146 pp

ABSTRACT
Snowmelt erosion is one of the widespread processes leading to decrease of soil fertility the most valuable agricultural lands in the West Siberia. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the fertility, transformation of soil organic matter and biogenic elements in eroded soils. Set of field and laboratory experiments were carried out on the Chernozem and the Phaeozem (7th years - layland, non-eroded and moderate eroded) in condition of forest-steppe zone in the Western Siberia, Russia. Results have indicated the reduction in the content of carbon and nitrogen (stock and amount) and rate of nitrate accumulation, intensification of the process ammonification, increase the content of available form of potassium on eroded soils. Decrease into 1.5-2.0 times of the crop yield and growth of aboveground biomass of meadow grass were obtained on sloping soils. It is shown that erosive processes lead to decrease of fertility, alteration of a ratio between different forms of main plant nutrition elements and without using of the additional techniques of soils conservation will lead to degradation of soil cover at whole.

Keywords: fertility, nutrition elements, eroded soil, Chernozem, West Siberia