Methods of accelerated restoration of productivity of degraded forage lands in the zone of unstable humidification of the Central Ciscaucasia

Abstract

Abstract. The purpose of the research is to study is to establish the effectiveness of different methods of grassing old-aged degraded haylands with the participation of species of cereals and legumes recommended for agrophytocenoses of the zone of unstable moisture. The methodological basis of the approach to restoring the productivity of degraded haylands on saline leached chernozems was the improvement of their phytocenotic structure, based on the coenotic usefulness of the dominant species of legumes and grasses. Results. Highly plastic species of legumes and grasses have been identified, which allow forming productive haymaking on the site of degraded old-growth grass stand for 10 years of its use. The legume-cereal agrophytocenosis formed on the cenotic basis contributed to the production of energy-saturated feed (0.74–0.76 feed units per 1 kg of dry matter with a content of 14.6–15.8 % crude protein). The conducted studies of methods for improving the grass stand did not reveal a significant advantage of the amelioration over the simplificated improvement (accelerated grassing). With accelerated grassing with the use of disking with sowing of perennial grasses in the treated turf, the productivity of the grass stand was slightly lower compared to the amelioration, but due to the reduction of technological costs, this method is more economically justified compared to the traditional method of tillage. Scientific novelty. For the first time in the conditions of the zone of unstable humidification of the Central Ciscaucasia in a comparative aspect, two methods of improving degenerated low – productive the grass amelioration and simplificated improvement (accelerated grassing) against the background of the use of nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers with the participation of dominant species of cereals and legumes of perennial grasses recommended for their introduction into the plant communities of this zone were studied.