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The presented paper deals with the issue of enhancing soil erosion resistance in the cultivation of crops prone to soil erosion. In the period before growing maize (Zea mays L.) as a main crop, a system of cultivating intermediate crops was tested with the use of clovers. The main criterion in the classification of soil resistance to erosion was the soil aggregates stability (SAS). In 2017, the experimental plot was divided after the harvest of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) into the following four variants: a...

Significant amount of crops yield are lost in the world constantly due to fungal pathogens that inhibit plants in the process of growth or affect harvested products. Rhamnolipids that are detergents produced by bacteria may be efficient environmental friendly alternative of chemical fungicides conventionally used to suppress pathogens. In the present study, the influence of treatment of Fusarium infected cherry tomatoes (Lycopersicon lycopersicum) plants and fruits by a rhamnolipid produced by Pseudomonas fluoresc...

Currently, the degradation of the structure of chernozems in agricultural activities is taking place. At the same time, there is a natural diversity of chernozems that are located in different environmental conditions, so the degree of degradation can vary significantly. From these positions, the comparison of the structural-aggregate composition and waterproofness of the structure of arable chernozems, widespread in the Belgorod oblast and the Krasnodar territory, was carried out. The low quality of the structure...

In this paper we present the frequency ratio method, a commonly used technique for designing a landslide risk map for the Muscel catchment area, based on the quantitative association between the landslides inventory and their causative factors. The river basin of the Muscel stream is located on the right bank of the Dambovita river, in the north of the region with the same name and due to geological and geomorphological conditions, but also due to anthropogenic activity, it was and still is affected by landslides....

Soils of flat watersheds under shelterbelts and on adjacent arable lands on three areas with different climatic conditions were studied. The study area is a forest-steppe of the central part of the East European Plain (Belgorod oblast, Russia). In all areas chernozems with 60-80 cm dark-grey (reached by organic matter) part of profile (A1 + A1B), are developed. The parent materials are loess-like loams and clays. The width of all shelterbelts is 30 meters; they are oriented from south to north; the age of the shel...

Microbial biomass was evaluated by determining the content of soil phospholipids in the upper and illuvial horizons of different-age kastanozems and solonetzes of the Bronze Age, Early Iron Age and Medieval time, located on various soil-forming rocks, in the zone of dry steppes, as well as in modern background soils. The microbial biomass in the upper horizon of modern Kastanozem on loess-like loams was 2800 ?g per g of soil that was 3 and 4 times higher than that in the upper horizon of modern kastanozem and mode...

In a model laboratory experiment, the succession of the microbial community during the decomposition of food products of a protein (sheep meat, cow curd), lipid (sheep fat) and polysaccharides (millet) was studied. Data on the dynamics of changes in the content of organic carbon, active microbial biomass, and respiratory response to the adding the low-molecular-weight compounds (amino acids and carboxylic acids) into the soil were obtained. It was found that the slowest decomposition of fat occurs after two months...

Rainfall erosivity is an indicator of the potential of precipitation to generate erosion processes and is essential for understanding the climatic vulnerability of a region. This article aims to develop a model for evaluation the average annual and seasonal rainfall erosivity in areas with different climatic and orographic conditions. The studied area covers the regions of Lovech and Kardzhali, which are characterized with high intensity of erosion processes and high erosion risk. To achieve the goal of the study ...

The studies of the medieval fortified settlement Kushmanskoe-3 showed significant differences in the chemical properties and biological activity of the cultural layers of plots located on the inner and outer parts of the settlement, on both sides of the fortification line. The average values of organic carbon, total phosphorus, urease activity and the number of thermophilic bacteria were significantly higher in the cultural layers on the inner plots located to the south of the fortifications, as compared to the cu...

Soil erosion is the most serious soil degradation on the territory of Bulgaria. Estimated average annual potential soil loss from sheet water erosion in Bulgaria amounts to 902.5 million tonnes. Over 68% of the territory of the administrative region of Kardzhali (East Rhodopes) is characterised by risk of sheet water erosion exceeding 100 t/ha y. The paper presents assessments of susceptibility to erosion of soils in the catchment of the Dzhebelska River (Eastern Rhodopes). The assessments are based on the USLE ap...

Soil erosion by water is a type of physical degradation of the soil that is causing significant losses of topsoil worldwide. The susceptibility of the specific area to water erosion can be assessed by taking into account the effect of the specific erosion factors such as rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, properties of the topography (mainly slope length and gradient), vegetation cover and erosion control practices. It is obvious that not all factors can be controlled by human to the same extent. This contribut...

During 2019-2020 the study of the soils of 6-8-row (30 meters) ash - elm shelterbelts of an agroforestry landscapes (typical forest-steppe of the Belgorod oblast) and the soils of adjacent agricultural landscapes was conducted. The regime observations of the field moisture capacity in chernozems in 2 key areas were executed. The objects of study in both areas were the soils of flat watersheds with a deep (more than 10 m) level of ground water; soils were studied in the central parts of the field protective shelter...

Landslides and torrential erosion are among the most common geomorphological processes manifesting in the Romanian Subcarpathians, with a very high impact on the territory. The hydrographic basin of the Rau Alb stream, a left tributary of the Dambovita River, located at the western extremity of the Subcarpathians of Curvature, in the Ialomita Subcarpathians, is subject to complex processes of degradation by surface erosion, deep erosion and landslides. The research works for the analysis of morphodynamic processes...

The achieving of 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is closely linked to sustainable soil management to provide food, fibre, fuel, to avoid land degradation, to promote land restoration, water regulation, nutrient cycling and to ensure habitat for biodiversity. Organic soils can be a carbon sink or a carbon source depending on land use and land use management. Agricultural production on organic soils is considered as an important source of anthropogenic CO2 and N2O emissions. Long-term plans to...

Study on the trace elements in Haplic Luvisols and trends of their migration have been carried out in the sites localized at altitude of 1200m in the most Southern part of the Rhodope Mountains bordered to Greece. In that region, there are no industrial or mining enterprises so the technogenic pollution is not expectable to be found. Heavy metal concentrations in the mineral soil vary depending on concentration in parent rock. Content of trace elements was determined after acid dissolving (HF+HClO4) and respective...

In this work the possibility of express prediction of the content of organic carbon, total and hydrolysable nitrogen in leached chernozems by infrared spectrometry with attenuated total reflection sampling technique with minimal spectra processing was studied. The territory of study is a plot with a rugged topography (elevation changes up to 60 m) and severe erosion. In total, 50 samples were taken from the arable horizon (0-20 cm). The spectra were obtained in the range 4000-660 cm-1 with a spectral resolution ? ...

Assessment of soil erosion risk has a great importance for management of land use, allowing decision factors from administration, agriculture management etc. to choose and recommend properly land use according to the sustainable development strategies. This study aims to assess the soil erosion rate in a region with small catchments (Icusesti, Glodeni, Rapa?), located in the west of the Central Moldavian Plateau, a region whose geomorphological characteristics have been shaped under the influence of monoclinal geo...

Soil erosion by water is one of the kinds of soil degradation that creates challenges for soil management worldwide. Erosion risk potential is a result of combination of various erosion factors. Every soil can be affected by water erosion however, some soils are more prone to this process than the other. On the other hand, water erosion causes changes in the soil properties of the affected area. The aim of the study was to investigate the change in some of the most fundamental soil properties caused by erosion pro...

The long-term activity of a polymetallic ore mine in the region of Tarnita-Suceava, Romania, has resulted in an enormous amount of waste material, collected in tailing dumps and ponds. The impact of the waste materials on the surrounding ecosystem and human health are far to be fully estimated. The deposited waste has exerted negative impact on the environment, especially on the soils that host dumps and drainage waters. Heavy metals, including arsenic also interfere with the metabolism of plants, and reduce the n...

The paper presents the results of a study of the paramagnetic activity of humic acids of peat and sapropels of a vertical profile. Samples were taken near the Mukhrino field station located in the Ob-Irtysh interfluve. The article gives the botanical composition of the studied peat. G-factors were determined for the first 8 samples of HA. The g-factors of the studied HA are close to the g-factor of a free electron (2, 00230) and range within g = 2.00360±0.00015. The number of paramagnetic centers in the samples wa...

In the present work the researches were carried out in the Tata Valley watershed, which has an area of 17 km2 and administratively belongs to Dambovita county, Romania. The purpose of the study was to estimate the soil losses for a single storm event in the Tata Valley watershed using the MUSLE method and G.I.S. The identification of the erosion processes and the estimation of the quantity of eroded material is extremely important both for the elaboration of the risk maps, as well as for the analysis of the surfac...

In current times of increasing weather extremes and climate change, there is a request for cheap and also high-quality agricultural products. It is important to fertilize soils and improve their physical and chemical properties to increase an agricultural production. To improve soil properties are used various organic materials, and biochar is one of them. Biochar, a product of thermal degradation of biomass, helps to improve the hydro-physical properties of the soil. It is produced from biomass by pyrolysis proce...

Agriculture has been the only known and proven method to obtain food in order to meet demands of human population already for thousands of years. Quality and quantity of produced food depend on the technologies used in plant cultivation and on the condition of used land. Soil organic matter (SOM) together with soil biota form basic soil property referred to as soil fertility. Maintaining appropriate content of SOM in soils is possible by the application of organic fertilizers. However, these are not always availab...

The Arctic is one of the regions in the world where nature has been preserved in its original form. But at the same time it is the most environmentally vulnerable region. And in recent decades, anthropogenic influence has been enhancing due to interest in this territory. Focal economic development is characteristic of the high-latitude Arctic. It leads to the formation of local pollution sources and other types of negative environmental impact. In this regard, the study of soil characteristics is an important obje...

In the mountain zone, the slope exposure plays important role in the process of soil formation. The aim of the work was to assess the impact of slope exposure on the soil properties of agricultural terraces in the Eastern Caucasus. A study of soil properties of agricultural terraces in the mountainous zone of the Eastern Caucasus (Dagestan, Russian Federation) was carried out. The purpose of the study was to compare the soils of agricultural terraces on the slopes of the northern and southern exposure. The content...

It was shown that organic agriculture in the Middle Ages resulted in significant changes of chemical and microbiological properties of soil of ancient agricultural fields and these changes have preserved up to now. Estimation of the changes in soil properties in result of centuries old intensive organic agriculture was made. As objects with intensive form of agriculture soils of agricultural terraces in submountain zone of North Caucasus (Russia) were chosen. Agricultural terraces are unique example of centuries o...

The research papers for the present study were carried out in the 2018-2019 period in the river basin of the Muscel stream, a tributary of the Dambovita river, in Romania, using the empirical method of weighted overlay of thematic maps and GIS, resulting the hazard maps considering landslides which occurred on the scale of the studied drainage area. For the application of the research method, the necessary data regarding the digital terrain model, the land cover with vegetation and the degree of urbanization, were...

In traditional soil mapping, erosion is mapped as a process. Erosion processes are modeled based on the analysis of large-scale topographic maps and digital elevation models. Traditional mapping of soil erosion suggests a high correlation between topography and erosion processes. In precision farming systems, the actual location of fragments of agricultural fields where there has been a decrease in soil fertility is mapped,. The study compares two approaches. It is shown that the actual development of soil erosion...

The growing demand for bio-based products worldwide provides opportunity for Central and Eastern European countries to increase agricultural and wood production. Nevertheless, increase in bio-based production is restricted by emission reduction targets set by climate policies. Meanwhile, the changes in Common Agricultural Policy after 2020 offer each Member State to develop targeted and regional specific policies to meet socio-economic and environmental targets at national scale. Sustainable land management requir...

Petromagnetic properties of soils were studied in the territory of Khlebnovsky oil field (Saratov region, Russian Federation). Magnetic susceptibility was measured at low (?lf) and high (?hf) frequencies in soils before and after heating up to 500°C including the frequency dependence of magnetic susceptibility (?fd) and the thermomagnetic coefficient (d?). It was observed that in the studied soils, ?lf varied from 3.05?10-7 m3/kg to 1.56?10-6 m3/kg with an average value of 5.54?10-7 m3/kg; ?hf - from 2.84?10-7 m3 ...

This paper presents the results of a study of a model site of the settlement Ksizovo-1 (XXIV-XXIII centuries BC) in the forest-steppe zone. The research object is located in the Lipetsk region on the floodplain terrace of the left bank of the river Snova, right tributary of the Don River. The aim of the study was to assess the variation of chemical and enzymatic characteristics of the cultural layers of the settlement in the profile and in the plan over the entire area of the excavation. During the excavations, so...

The world modernization, global development, maximum utilization of minerals and ruthless treatment of the environment by humans have created many environmental problems around the world, and Georgia is no exception. One of the richest deposits in Georgia are in Bolnisi, where the RMG (formerly Madneuli) mine is functioning, located in Kazreti, on the right bank of the Mashavera River. Open-pit mining processes causes soil and water contamination, which do harms to human health and ecosystem. Remediation projects ...

The idea of sustainable land use constantly develops. The technical level of agricultural machinery is constantly improving. The latter is a part of modern technology in agriculture that has an impact on soil fertility and land quality. Soil quality depends on the integrated impact of topography, land use method, and the agricultural practices applied. The wind and water erosion and the other soil degradation processes caused by man's physical interference are due to the chaotic land use and improper dispositionin...

Flooding of peatlands occurs within the framework of the International Climate Initiative. The European Climate Initiative supports projects aimed at protecting the climate and ensuring a favorable living environment. Investment projects to restore wetlands should take into account environmental risks for the purpose of sustainable development of the region. Ryazan Meshchera is one of the main places for water reclamation activities. The main goal of flooding drained peatlands is to reduce their fire danger. To as...

This article is devoted to the study and mathematical description of the mechanisms of oil pollution of objects of agro-industrial complex. The significance of the problem of ensuring the environmental safety of these objects through early detection, localization and prediction of the dynamics of the spread of oil pollution is shown. The basic properties of oil and oil products, as well as the features of their location and migration in the geological environment are considered. It was established that the migrati...

The main goal of this work was to determine the effect of fertilization with N and P on three varieties of clover (Trifolium incarnatum L., Medicago lupulina L., Trifolium repens L.), their biomass production and soil quality under the cultivated crop. Soil conditions were monitored using the following indicators: content of plant available nutrients (P, Ca, Mg), Ctot and Ntot. The measured values will be used as a basis for the technology of growing clover and maize in mixed cropping. Our greenhouse pot experimen...

The article discusses salt-affected soils in the south of Eastern Siberia around Lake Baikal. These soils occur in intermontane depressions and foreland basins. The difference in the genesis and chemistry of soil salinization in the western (Cis-Baikal), central (Baikal), and eastern (Trans-Baikal) parts is associated with specific regional features of the geology, hydrogeology, and relief. The deep closed Cenozoic basins of the rift zone in the central (Baikal) region contribute to the advancement of steppe lands...

Unequal distribution of annual precipitation is negative trend of last year?s influencing primary agricultural field production. One of the natural possibility for elimination of this gesture is to increase patience to the actual conditions and functionality of root system of the plants. Among possible abilities of field crops protection to abiotic stresses during vegetation period belongs strengthening of their natural tolerance. Present situation of soil degradation does not allow to plants sufficiently deploy r...

Soil compaction is a significant process of soil degradation worldwide which affects the productive function of the soil, but also its susceptibility to other degradation processes of the soil and landscape such as soil erosion and floods. There are primary and secondary reasons of soil susceptibility to compaction. Primary compaction is conditioned by the genetic properties of the soil. Secondary compaction is caused by human activities, directly ? due to wheel pressure of agricultural mechanisms, or indirectly ?...

The buried soils of kurgans that have been constructed during the arid (2200-1800 years BC) and humid periods (1300-1400 years AD) in the Volga upland and the Caspian lowlands were studied. The paleosols buried 2200-1800 years BC are characterized by significant salinity and the accumulation of easily soluble salts and gypsum in the middle part of the soil profile and the formation of characteristic salt peaks at the depth of 80-120 cm. The chemical properties of medieval paleosols buried (1300-1400 years AD) indi...

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is among the main bulbous vegetable known worldwide for both economic and health value. The research was conducted in the framework of the project on the modernization of winter garlic cultivation to ensure guaranteed yield in the organic production system. The new technology is designed to prevent the effects of unfavourable soil and climatic conditions on the rooting and wintering ability of garlic ? factors that significantly affect the garlic production in Latvia. Field studies were ...

Water has a very important role in the process of growth and development of plants, they need primarily water and nutrients, which are made available to them by soil conditions and climate. Water and soil, together ensure the existence of life on Earth. Romania has been experiencing frequent droughts in recent years, the lack of rainfall over a longer period of time and the increase in evapotranspiration lead to a decrease in the water content of the soil below the field capacity (FC) reaching the threshold of per...

The paper focused on the formation mechanisms of the geochemical soil background for a wide range of elements. Three areas in Siberia of the coal mining spoils were investigated. The spoils were recultivated 30 years ago by applying a homogenous layer of loamy bedrock as a potentially fertile substrate and then left for spontaneous revegetation. The assessment was conducted using bulk concentrations of the elements. Since there is no excess in concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides in the recultivated sp...

In human-induced landscape transformation, soils are the most informative component, as they are open heterogeneous systems that have a desire for self-regulation and self-healing. Each type of soil is characterized by its own structure, as the shape, size and quality of structural separations in different soils can be different. Soil is considered well structured if it contains more than 55% of aggregates between 10 and 0.25 mm in size. Black earths are characterized by the content of these fractions in the range...

The study analyses the features of the peat sediment formation and elements concentration in the 0-310 cm core sample of peat deposits based on the example of the Ubinskoye peat bog located in the Novosibirsk region, Western Siberia. The stratigraphy and distribution features of chemical elements in the vertical profile are studied. Peat layers are characterized by an increase in the content of all elements in the middle and lower core intervals, which is probably a consequence of changes in the water regime and g...

Soil is a non-renewable resource and we should also treat it accordingly. Urbanization of natural land is a long-term global problem which results in expansion of anthropogenic soils. Effective use of so called brownfield sites could be one of the ways to eliminate the negative impact of the areas affected by urbanization. Brownfields are old and abandoned areas of former industrial and commercial zones within towns or other settlements, which have lost their original use and at the same time pose a possible ecolo...

Light soils contain up to 20 % clay particles, which results in their high water and nutrient permeability and thus low fertility. Another factor affecting light soils is their easy drying. The Hodov locality was chosen for an experiment suitable in terms of quite low rainfall per year and soil type corresponding to light soils. The experimental locality Hodov belongs to a slightly warm climate region (MT9) with a long-term average rainfall of 500 mm/year. The prevailing soil type is Mesobasic Cambisol with a high...

The Rostov urban agglomeration is the largest in the Southern Federal District. Due to the rapidly growing population, the number of industrial enterprises is also increased, the by-products of which are various heavy metals. Accumulation of heavy metals negatively affects the biological and enzyme activity, leads to the general soil degradation. But the most dangerous factor for plants and other living organisms is the degree of availability, which is determined by the mobility of the chemical elements. Compared ...

It is well known that soil polluted with different pollutants, including oil, can naturally remediate. Primarily, the process of oil utilization starts with the degradation of saturated alkanes by microorganisms. Alkane monooxygenase is the major enzyme involved in the degradation of alkanes and it is classified into three groups, each catalyzing the degradation of n-alkanes with different chain lengths. In this study, we investigated abundance of alkane monooxygenases genes in the soil contaminated with oil durin...

Monitoring of heavy metals contents (Ni, Cr) in soils and regular upgrading of information enable to monitor development and changes in soil properties of present state, as well as trends in soil contamination. Data about situation of soil hygiene are necessary for evaluation of entering abilities of mentioned contaminants into food chain. In our work the present state of amounts of two risky elements in soil (in depth of 0-0.3m), as well as spatial identification with evaluation of information for spheres of envi...