NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF GRAIN VARIETIES OF SPRING BARLEY OF TATAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE SELECTION

Four varieties and 3 promising lines of spring barley breeding by Tatar Research Institute of Agriculture were studied for grain nutrition to identify the most promising ones. The work was conducted in 2015-2017 in Predkamye Republic of Tatarstan. Grey forest soil, humus content 3.35-3.52 % (GOST 26213-91), alkaline-hydrolyzable nitrogen 85.0...94.0 mg/kg (by A.H. Kornfield), mobile phosphorus 251...287 and exchangeable potassium 149...167 mg/kg (by Kirsanov; GOST 26207-91). The predecessor is winter rye, the repetition is fourfold, the standard grade is Raushan. It was found that line k-295-12, on average over 3 years, significantly exceeded the standard by 27.77 g in crude protein content; by 20.0 g in digestible protein content and by 7.35 g in digestible protein content per feeding unit. The variability of sugar content in varieties was 30.67 ... 47.0 g, significantly exceeded the standard by 13.33 g variety Tevkech (47.0 g) and by 13.0 g line k-23-13 (46.67 g). The fat content was formed in the standard 19.03 g, varieties Kamashevsky, Endan and lines k-23-23, k-561-13 and k-295-12 exceeded it by 7.47; 5.77; 11.47; 9.84 and 5.67 g, respectively. The exchange energy content in grain ranged from 14.42 MJ of the variety Raushan, to 14.72 MJ of the line k-295-12, with no significant differences between genotypes. In the dry year of 2015, the crude and digestible protein content was 148.0...165.0 and 110.74...118.8 g, respectively, and in 2016 it was 129.00...164.4 and 92.88...118.37 g, respectively. In favorable 2017, the content of crude and digestible protein were lower, the varieties Raushan and Tevkech were characterized by the greatest decrease in crude and digestible protein (65.7 and 67.4 % to the level of 2015). On average over 3 years, the best line was k-295-12 for the set of indicators of grain nutrition

Human-Altered Soils at an Archeological Site of the Bronze Age: The Tyater-Araslanovo-II Settlement, Southern Cis-Ural Region, Russia

This paper presents the results of studying the soils at the archeological site of the Tyater-Araslanovo-II settlement located in the Republic of Bashkortostan, eastern European Russia. The settlement functioned in the 15th–12th centuries BCE (the Late Bronze Age). We compared the soil properties at four sites in the study area: archeological (1), buried (2), affected by long pyrogenic exposure (3), and background site (4). In soil samples, the total carbon content, the fractional composition of humus and organic matter characteristics, alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen, total phosphorus, mobile phosphorus, potassium, absorbed calcium and magnesium, pH, particle size distribution, basal soil respiration, and optical density were estimated. The study results showed the anthropogenic impact on the archeological site’s soils. The newly formed AU horizon at the archeological site (1), affected by the cattle summer camp, was richer in soil nutrients and agrochemical properties, namely, the content of exchangeable and gross forms of phosphorus, alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen, and exchange cations of the soil absorbing complex compared to the reference soil (4). For the pyrogenic layer (AU[hh]pyr) from the ancient furnace (fireplace) (3), the mobile and total forms of phosphorus were several times higher than those in the reference soil (4) but inferior regarding other agrochemical parameters. Thus, the activities of ancient people (especially cattle breeding) greatly influenced the properties of the soil.

Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Dark Septate Endophytes in the Roots of Lycium ruthenicum in the Desert Region of Northwest China

With the intensification of desertification in northwest China, drought has become a serious environmental problem restricting plant growth and ecological restoration. Recently, dark septate endophytes (DSEs) have attracted more attention because of their ability to improve plants’ resistance to drought. Here, we investigated DSE colonization and species diversity in roots of Lycium ruthenicum collected from Anxi and Minqin, in northwest China, during July, September, and December 2019. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of seasonality and sampling sites on DSEs. In different seasons, DSE colonization varied with the phenology of L. ruthenicum. At different sites, DSE colonization significantly differed. Four isolates were reported in desert ecosystems for the first time. The results showed microsclerotial colonization was directly affected by changing seasons, while hyphal colonization and species diversity were directly affected by sampling sites. The soil organic carbon, pH, alkaline phosphatase, and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen were the main predictors of DSE colonization and species diversity. We conclude that DSE colonization and diversity showed significant spatial–temporal heterogeneity and were closely related to soil factors. This research provides a basis for the further understanding of the ecological functions of DSEs and their application potential for vegetative restoration and agricultural cultivation in drylands.

RESEARCH OF PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES, MICROBIOLOGICAL AND AGROCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FERTILIZERS BASED ON MONO-, DYCALCIUM PHOSPHATE WITH ZINC PHYTO-COMPOUND: Communication 2. Study of microbiological and agrochemical characteristics of a composition based on mono-, dicalcium phosphate with a phytocompound of zinc

On model soil samples, the positive effect of the composition based on mono-, dicalcium phosphates with a phytocompound of zinc on the number of soil microorganisms affecting the nitrogen and phosphorus nutrition of plants and the accumulation of easily hydrolyzable nitrogen and mobile forms of phosphorus pentoxide in the soil was established. Achieved: an increase in the number of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in comparison with the standards in 3.14-3.2 times and phosphate-mobilizing 3.4-3.42 times; accumulation of soil 11.5-12.7% of easily hydrolyzable nitrogen and 6.9-8.1% of mobile forms of phosphorus pentoxide. In the reference variants, there is a decrease in the content of phosphorus pentoxide mobile forms by 6.9-8.3%, which is associated with the retrogradation of phosphorus pentoxide. A decrease in the number of oligotrophs and denitrifiers, decomposing humus, and nitrate nitrogen of the soil by 2.18-2.15 times and 2.5- 2.56 times is the basis for the preservation of soil fertility. Under the conditions of a microplot experiment, it was determined that the compositions containing a Phyto compound of zinc provide an increase in the yield of raw cotton in comparison with the standards – mono-, dicalcium phosphates 3.9 and 4.3 c/ha. The data obtained are in good agreement with phenological observations, the content of nutrients in the middle of the growing season, and the results of microbiological studies.

METHOD OF FORECASTING THE YIELD OF APPLE TREES DEPENDING ON THE SOIL CONDITIONS OF THE NORTH OF THE CENTRAL CHERNOZEM REGION

The following soil indices that determine the level of apple tree yield have been determined: agrochemical indi-ces: pHKCl, hydrolytic acidity, total exchangeable bases, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, easily-hydrolyzable nitrogen, mobile phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, humus con-tent, and ground water mineralization; morphological indi-ces: humus horizon thickness (A + B1), root layer thick-ness, carbonate depth, gleying depth, ground water depth, water-soluble salt depth; physical indices: soil density, mesoaggregate content (0.25-10 mm), physical clay con-tent (< 0.01 mm); water-physical indices: hydroscopic mois-ture, maximum hygroscopic content, capillary moisture capacity, minimum water capacity, available moisture, wa-ter stability coefficient; orographic indices: slope steepness and slope exposure. A method for predicting apple tree yield for soil types in the northern part of the Central Cher-nozem Region has been developed; the method is based on the agrochemical, morphological, water-physical, and orographic soil indices and takes into account the rootstock vigor. The method shows the range of the expected aver-age annual yield of apple trees during the period of full fruiting without fertilizer application. According to the devel-oped software, the highest yield of apple trees on semi-dwarf rootstock (using the example of 62-396) will be ex-pected on typical chernozems; on medium-sized rootstock (54-118) -on leached chernozems, podzolized and dark gray forestsoils; on strong-growing rootstock (pomaceous) -on podzolized chernozems and dark gray forest soils.

INFLUENCE OF AGROTECHNOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES ON THE NITROGEN REGIME OF TYPICAL BLACK-SOIL

In the conditions of a southwest part of CBR Russian Federation increase in content of alkaline-hydrolyzable and nitric nitrogen and also strengthening of nitrification ability of the soil in the black-soil typical is caused, mainly, by application of the increasing doses of mineral fertilizers, a manure after-action, use of long-term herbs in a crop rotation as predecessors of a winter wheat, and application, mostly, of plowing in the system of the main processing of the soil. The most noticeable variation of contents in the soil of alkaline-hydrolyzable nitrogen is noted for a layer of earth 20-50 cm, and nitrification ability of the soil – in a layer of 0-20 cm. The most significant increase in its contents in a layer of earth of 0-20 cm at a combination of mineral fertilizers and a manure is characteristic of nitric nitrogen, especially on plowing. The tendency to increase in content of nitrates in underlying layers is caused by application of the raised dose of mineral fertilizers under a winter wheat – N120P120K120 N60 (saturation of 1 hectare of the crop rotation area in a grain-grass-tilled crop rotation of N84P124K124 and in a grain-tilled crop rotation of N120P124K124) and an after-action for the fourth year of 40 and 80 ton/hectare of a manure (saturation of 8 and 16 ton/hectare).