SOIL FERTILITY STATE OF THE MOUNTAIN ZONE OF CHERNIVTSI REGION

Abstract

The main indicators of soil fertility are presented based on the results of an agrochemical survey of agricultural lands in the mountainous zone of Chernivtsi region in the XI round of surveys (2018-2020). It was established that strongly acidic soils (49.4%) prevail in the mountainous zone of the region in terms of soil solution acidity. The average weighted saline pH is 4.6, which corresponds to an average acidic reaction of the soil solution. In terms of humus content, soils with an increased content prevail (90.4%) and the average weighted humus content in the mountainous zone of the region is 3.6%, which corresponds to an increased level. In terms of easily hydrolyzable nitrogen content, the most lands have a low content (81.9%). The average weighted indicator of the easily hydrolyzable nitrogen content is 137.2 mg/kg of soil, which corresponds to a low supply of this element. In the mountainous zone of Chernivtsi region, lands with a low content of mobile phosphorus compounds (67.5%) prevail, and the weighted average content of mobile phosphorus compounds is 27.9 mg/kg, which corresponds to low availability. In terms of the content of mobile potassium compounds, lands with a low content (77.1%) prevail, with a weighted average of 30.1 mg/kg of soil, which corresponds to low availability of this element. The soils of the mountainous zone of Chernivtsi region are provided with mobile sulfur compounds at a high level (12.2 mg/kg), with a very high level of mobile boron compounds (0.9 mg/kg), cobalt (0.8 mg/kg) and copper (0.7 mg/kg), have an average level of mobile molybdenum compounds (0.12 mg/kg), an increased level of mobile manganese compounds (13.5 mg/kg) and a very low level of mobile zinc compounds (0.6 mg/kg). It was established that in the areas of the mountainous zone of Chernivtsi region, the largest area is occupied by low-quality soils (61.5%), and the weighted average quality score is 38. A comparison of the qualitative assessment of soils of the mountainous zone of Chernivtsi region was carried out according to the X (2013-2015) and XI rounds (2018-2020) of agrochemical surveys. The results showed that the qualitative assessment of the condition of the soils of the mountain zone deteriorated (-4 points).