Agrogenic soil evolution of rice agrolandscapes

Abstract

Abstract This paper describes soil chronosequence studies relating to fertility evolution of meadow-chernozemic (Gleyic Chernozem) soil of the Kuban region. The research has been conducted in the rice irrigation system of Krasnoarmeysky district, Krasnodar Krai. Over the course of 80 years with 12-year intervals, soil was sampled from pits from the plots/checks with permanent rice cultivation, or with crop rotation as well as from fallow land. Changes of morphological, physical and physico-chemical soil characteristics were studied. Rice paddy cultivation results in removal from the plow layer organic substances, carbonates, mineral elements, and silt particles, i.e. of the components responsible for stable soil development in the irrigation system. This illustrates the expression of dehumification, lessivage, and degradation soil processes with rice cultivation permanently as a monoculture or in a crop rotation during the chronosequence study. Deterioration of the soil physical condition is one of ever-increasing factors.