Use of geoinformation and neurotechnology to assess and to forecast the humus content variations in the steppe soils

Abstract

Abstract-This paper reports the results obtained using the systemic basin approach, geoinformation, and neurotechnology for modeling and forecasting of the humus spatial inhomogeneity and content variations in the steppe and dry steppe zones (Kherson oblast, Ukraine). The general trend of such variations has been determined in the 0-40 cm layer for 42 years. The intensive use of irrigation and drainage activities in 1970-1989 resulted in a significant humus depletion by 0.36% on average (from 2.56% to 2.2%). The analysis in 4450 observation points has yielded a decrease in the variability, the rising polynomial dependence of the humus enrichment from the west to the east, and the logarithmic dependence from the south to the north. The neurotechnological modeling has made it possible to develop the artificial neural network for the spatiotemporal modeling of the humus content in the soils. The humus is predicted to be subject to the irreversible process of gradual depletion in the 0-40 layer until 2025 upon the use of the existing agrotechnologies: rainfed land by 0.01%/year and irrigated land by 0.03%/year. This result defines the territorial priorities of the regional policy and suggests the differentiated efficiency evaluation of the soil-protective unit of the farming systems.

Journal of Water and Land Development

“…Dehumification of soils is explained by an increased mineralization of organic matter as a result of intensive treatment and imbalance of production and soil formation processes, insufficient intake of crop residues and organic fertilizers within the arable horizon, increase in the proportion of tilled crops, reduction in the proportion of perennial grasses in field crop rotations, dominating use of mineral fertilizers (especially their physiologically acid forms), insufficient use of crop residues as organic fertilizers, stubble burning, frequent burning of residual straw, water erosion, including irrigation erosion, and soil deflation, as well as the result of a long-lasting irrigation [LISETSKII et al 2017a]. Over the last 50 years, the intensification of negative degradation processes in the soil cover has resulted in the decrease of the humus content in steppe soils by 0.36% (from 2.56 to 2.20%).…”

Influence of Agrotechnical Factors and Conditions of Growing Fertility of Soil

“…Встановлено склад кращих травостоїв, нагромадження ними рослинної маси та показники якості корму за різних груп осипаємості. Для різних злакових трав визначено строки настання збиральної стиглості як основи побудови лучних конвеєрів для поліпшення надходження високоякісної рослинної маси протягом сезону та більш раціонального використання трудових ресурсів і сінозбиральної техніки, створення кращих умов для заготівлі сіна за нестійкої погоди 6,7 .…”

“…Гілки в нижній частині волоті зібрані в мутовки по 6-7 (частіше по 5). Колоски довгі, багатоквіткові (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12).…”

Analysis of the dependence of winter wheat yielding capacity formation on mineral nutrition in irrigation conditions of southern steppe of Ukraine

“…As a result of neuro-prognosis, it was established (LISETSKII et al, 2017) that in the soils of the dry Steppe zone, using existing agricultural technologies, the process of gradual dehumidification is predicted: on rainfed lands -by 0.01, on irrigated lands -by 0.03 percent per year and a reduction in the area of land, characterized by medium and high humus content. Lisetskii (2012) emphasized that the removal of humus and nutrients with washed away soil leads to a deterioration in its physical properties and a decrease in fertility, a decrease in crop productivity on eroded lands on average by 10-60%, and an increase in the cost of their irrigation and drainage.…”