ASSESSMENT OF SOIL QUALITY IN CONDITIONS OF SUSTAINABLE LAND USE

The article is researched the assessment of soil quality under conditions of sustainable land use. It is substantiated that the soil is one of the main means for the production of products in agriculture and forestry, has multipurpose use and serves as a basis for the placement and development of productive forces, a place for people to settle. It is determined that 95% of the total amount of the food fund and two-thirds of the consumer goods fund is formed thanks to land resources. It has been proven that resource management in sustainable agriculture is important, because only with proper management, food security can be achieved due to the preservation and economical use of natural resources – soil, water, air. Note that at the current stage, soils around the world provide food for 7 billion people, but access is different and food is unevenly distributed, because 1 billion people suffer from hunger. In order to provide food for 9-10 billion people by 2050, it is necessary to significantly improve the biophysical, as well as socio-economic availability of food, as well as increase the production capacity. The quality of land is defined as its ability to perform certain functions, not to lose its properties over time. The functions that the land should perform are highlighted, namely: providing food, maintaining or improving water quality, and supporting human life. The main determinants of land quality are highlighted - soil productivity and stability, possible combinations form certain soil quality classes: the best agricultural soils (I, II, III classes) – temperate zone; classes IV, V and VI are found mainly in intertropical zones; classes VII, VIII and IX belong to fragile ecosystems and include tundra and desert areas. Bonification is considered as one of the methods of assessing the quality of soils, which involves determining the soil bonity index, which indicates its quality, natural properties and ability to produce the expected result. The need to develop policies and practices that promote sustainable land management, including the development of monitoring methods and warning indicators for land degradation, has been proven.