Agroecological assessment of arable soils in the southwestern part of the foreststeppe zone of the forest steppe zone of the Central Black Earth region of Russia

The aim of the following research paper was to evaluate the agro-ecological state of arable soils, located in the Central Black Earth forest-steppe zone with the Belgorod region as an example. The state agro-ecological analysis of soils, conducted using prevalent methods by the agrochemical service of Russia was used as a primary source. On average, about 99.4 kg/ha of mineral and 6.3 t/ha of organic fertilizers were applied during the 9th cycle of the agrochemical survey (2010–2014). During the 11th cycle (2019–2022), a 14.8 % increase of mineral fertilizers was introduced, thereby making 114.1 kg/ha, and 66.7 % increase of organic fertilizers, making 10.5 t/ha. In relation to the 9th cycle, the 11th one was accompanied by a 23.3 % decline in the quantity of acidic soils from 60.9 to 37.6 %, which included a decrease of 14.1 % (from 18.2 to 4.1 %) in the acidity of medium acidic soils. The weighted average mean of organic matter in soils increased by 0.3 %, from 5.0 to 5.3 %. The average weighted mean of mobile forms of potassium displayed an increase of 11 mg/kg, from 152 to 163 mg/kg, while the mobile forms of phosphorus were fairly stable at 146 mg/kg in the 11th cycle. Share of soils low in mobile forms of sulfur decreased by 10.2 %, from 95.1 to 84.9 %, and manganese by 15.7 %, from 55.3 to 39.6 %. The concentrations of mobile zinc, copper and cobalt mostly remained unchanged, with soils, that contained low traces of these elements being at 97.4; 98.8 and 93.1 %, respectively, in the 11th cycle. Winter wheat, maize, sunflower, and soybean yields increased by 45.6; 39.7; 39.0 and 26.1 %, and in the eleventh cycle made 5.40; 7.50; 3.03 and 2.08 t/ha, respectively, within the achieved levels of soil fertility and usage of fertilizer.