Agroecological condition of soil cover of Zhytomyr region in the conditions of changes in climatic factors

Abstract

Goal. To study the agroecological state and degradation processes of the soil cover of the Zhytomyr region in conditions of moisture deficiency and determine the main directions for overcoming the negative impact of weather and climatic conditions on agriculture. Methods. Field and laboratory — to determine soil moisture content according to generally accepted methods; information and analytical — to analyze literary sources on physical soil degradation. Results. Observations of weather conditions in 1991–2024 indicated that in the Polissia region, against the background of general climate warming during growing seasons with a decrease in precipitation, the temperature rose by 2.0–2.5 °C. Due to the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on the agricultural lands of the region, a deterioration in the qualitative state of the soil cover was observed. The main problem of drained land was that the drainage system was not able to retain moisture in the agro-landscape, so the manifestation of soil drought was increasing. Already in the summer months, due to the lack of precipitation, the amount of moisture in the soil approached a critical value, and the groundwater level dropped to 2.5–3.0 m from the surface. In addition, the problem of radioactive contamination of land was not completely solved. The ecological stability of the agro-landscape was threatened by water erosion of slope lands and wind erosion of sod-podzolic sandy and peat soils; the area of such eroded lands was 178 thousand hectares. Other degradation factors negatively affected the fertility of land: a sharp decrease in the number of cattle, a decrease in the area of perennial grasses, dehumification of land, a violation of the structure of acreage in favor of market priorities, excessive plowing of land, etc. Conclusions. According to the analysis of the soil cover, it is possible to suspend degradation processes in the agro-landscapes of the region only with the introduction of a set of organizational, agrotechnical, agrochemical, hydraulic, and other measures, scientifically sound approaches, and sufficient funding.