It was shown that the constant use of mountain meadows and pastures leads to soil depletion and deterioration. Liquid microorganisms-based biologies are considered to contribute to the soil fertility restoration. It has been revealed that there is a lack of serial samples of small-sized maneuverable machines for small contour areas, which could superficially apply solutions of biologies to mountain meadows and pastures.Research purpose To develop and manufacture a laboratory model of the unit for the mountainous area based on the Feng Shou 180 mini-tractor, which could reduce the slope areas degradation processes.Materials and methods A laboratory sample of the machine has been substantiated and developed. Its design is adapted to work with degraded soils in the mountains with a slope of cultivated areas up to 15 degrees. The technology was tested in the mountainous zone of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania at an altitude of 1540 meters above sea level. A technical examination of a laboratory sample of a block module for biologies surface application was carried out according to the adopted standards.Results and discussion A block-module has been developed for biologies surface application to mountain meadows and pastures. It was identified that the unit laboratory sample complies with the agrotechnical requirements and the terms of reference. The following necessary parameters were calculated: tank capacity is 300 liters, application rate is 0.109 liters per second, pipeline diameter is 12 millimeters. It was determined that the use of the block-module increased the yield of perennial grasses in the mountain zone by 15-20 percent in one year, made it possible to strengthen the turf, which will prevent the development of water and wind erosion in the future.

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Abstract. The authors presented the results of scientific research and experimental development, on the basis of which a prototype was designed and created for applying liquid fertilizers to the grass and the soil surface of mountain meadows and pastures in order to improve them, reduce erosion processes and increase productivity. The aim of the work: to develop and create a combined multifunctional unit for the application of liquid fertilizers on mountain meadows and pastures, providing an increase in the productivity of agricultural landscapes and profitability of agricultural production by 15–20 %. The object of the study are fertilizer application rates and interchangeable working parts: a container for liquid mineral fertilizers, a collector of sprayers, tips. The novelty of the technical solution lies in the fact that a combined multifunctional unit based on a chisel cultivator ССМ-2,4 was created for the first time. The research of the unit was carried out on the basis of the workshop of the mechanization group of the North Caucasus Research Institute of Mining and Piedmont Agriculture (NCRIMPAC) and at the high-altitude experimental site in the village of Dargavs Prigorodny district of North Ossetia-Alania. When creating a prototype of a unit for applying liquid fertilizers, the developments of the authors are used and combined, which are confirmed by the issuance of patents for useful model of the Russian Federation No. 144420 and No. 130781. As a result of the application of the developed prototype of the unit, the erosion processes are reduced, the productivity and profitability of the sloping lands increases, and the botanical composition of the herbs is improved. It was established that the design and functionality of the proposed unit also allow it to be used in the mountain zone in nursery farms and on tilled crops with simultaneous application of liquid fertilizers in the forest zone. The use of a prototype unit will reduce erosion and other types of degradation of the fertile soil in the mountains, solve the problem of surface improvement of hayfields and pastures and, as a result, increase the productivity of forage lands by 15–20 %.

The article presents the materials of scientific developments on the local introduction of herbicides into the trunk zone of seedlings based on the cultivator KCHG-2.4, which replaces manual weeding of rows of plants, excluding the ingress of herbicide on the leaf-stem apparatus. The unit allows you to save stubble up to 51%, which reliably protects the soil from water erosion when destroying weed vegetation up to 94%.

The article describes the present state of mechanization of horticulture and fruit-tree nursery, analyses the mechanization of technological process of parent bushes hilling. Production of planting material for establishing new type orchards depends on the degree of mechanization of technological processes in fruit-tree nurseries, more specifically on the availability of special equipment for work in mountain and foothill areas on stony and heavy soils. At this stage, the urgent task is to increase the efficiency of work of fruit-tree nurseries with simultaneous reduction of labour and power intensity by means of mechanization of production processes based on new technologies and technical tools for cultivation of planting material. The new type orchards, as a rule, are short-growing, high-yielding and require a 5-6 times bigger planting stock compared to old type orchards. Therefore, it is necessary to intensify the production of transplants in fruit-tree nurseries of a new type, and to lay for it the industrial foundation with the use of mechanization means for the care of parent bushes. This intensification is only possible on the basis of application of modern industrial technologies of reproduction of planting material taking into account the landscapes of the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania and the use of high-performance agricultural machinery, tractors and other equipment. The article proposes a technology and a combined unit for parent bushes hilling and row spacing cultivation, as well as a tent for budding of planting stock of fruit and berry crops when establishing the new orchards up to world standards. These devices allow to increase labour productivity under production of planting stock in conditions of mountain and foothill areas.