The influence of deep loosening on the ecological and meliorational state of drained mineral soils

Abstract

Abstract The existing problems of energy, water, and food crises and climate changes determine the need to implement appropriate adaptive measures to improve the ecological and reclamation state of drained mineral soils. For the application of deep loosening of the soil as an adaptive agromelioration measure, a transition from traditional crack loosening of the soil and strip loosening of the soil to improved technologies of continuous layer-by-layer loosening of the soil based on energy-efficient and moisture-regulating principles is proposed. Their comparative evaluation according to the main indicators of overall efficiency was carried out on drained mineral soils of a representative object in the Western Polissia zone of Ukraine. According to the results of the evaluation of various technologies of deep soil loosening, it was determined that the technologies and technical means of continuous deep loosening of the soil have an advantage in all main indicators: agrotechnical, water-physical, energy, technological, ecological, and economic. In particular, the moisture availability of the soil increased by 27 % due to better accumulation of atmospheric precipitation, the yield of cultivated crops also increased by 20-30 %, and the aftereffect period increased to 4 years. This is a cost-effective and investment-friendly adaptive measure to ensure a satisfactory ecological and reclamation state of drained mineral soils (with an investment payback of 1 year). This provides modern principles of adaptive land use in changing climatic conditions and can be an effective alternative to expensive reconstruction and modernization of existing drainage systems.