Soil is a national treasure. We will unite efforts to protect it!

Representatives of more than 60 organizations, including 20 Russian and 10 foreign universities, 20 research institutes, 5 centers of agrochemical service, research centers and agricultural enterprises met at the Stavropol State Agrarian University to participate in a large forum of soil scientists interested in preserving the soil cover of agricultural lands and their fertility.

Soil scientists are devoted to science people!

The organizers of such a large event were the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, the Dokuchaev Soil Science Society, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Stavropol Territory, the Stavropol State Agrarian University, the Stavropol Research Institute of Agriculture, the Stavropol State Agrochemical Service Center, the Russian Environmental Academy, the Kuban State Agrarian University and Southern Federal University.

The geography of the participants of the conference was not limited to pedologists from various regions (from Khabarovsk to Kaliningrad) and subjects of Russia (from Tatarstan, Kalmykia, North Ossetia-Alania, Kabardino-Balkaria). In the ranks of true soil protectors are scientists from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and even Angola, who presented the results of their unique research and observations in a specially prepared two-volume book containing about 200 scientific articles.

The plenary meeting, which took place on September 19 in the hall of the Academic Council of the Stavropol State University, was opened by the Vice-Rector for Research, Associate Professor Vitaly Morozov. On behalf of the Rector of the University, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Ivanovich Trukhachev he welcomed an audience of 340 people, among whom, in addition to the noble professors, there were many promising graduate students, masters and students.

In connection with the half a century anniversary of the Chair of Soil Science of the Faculty of Agrobiology of Land Resources of the Stavropol State Agrarian University, one could not help recalling the outstanding scientist - Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Vadim Ivanovich Tulipanov, whose name it now wears and whose works are known far beyond the region. Vadim Ivanovich, who headed the Department of Soil Science from 1977 to 2000, became the founder of the Stavropol School of Genetic and Meliorative Agriculture. A scientist with a great practical experience, he understood agriculture practitioners well, was a wise and benevolent person, selflessly supporting and guiding young people and colleagues.

Speaking of today's day, V. Morozov said: "Despite the high yields of agricultural crops, even in unfavorable weather conditions, in Stavropol soil, which is one of the first places in the country for fertility, the soil cover is subjected to the strongest negative impact. As a result, the fertile layer that feeds mankind from the moment of its appearance on the earth changes and collapses. "

In connection with the need to carry out activities that contribute to the preservation of the primordial properties of the soil and its fertility, the results of long-term studies of the Department of Soil Science of the Stavropol State Agrarian University are of particular relevance. According to the recommendations of agricultural scientists, farmers see a way out in updating the mineral composition of soils by applying a dusty material of various rocks.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Soil Science Department of the Stavropol State Agrarian University addressed to her team and Professor Valery Tskhovrebov, the head of the department for 17 years, numerous colleagues addressed the congratulatory message: from the oldest agricultural school in the entire post-Soviet space and in Europe - the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy, from Kazakhstan, distant Switzerland and Angola, as well as the neighboring Southern Federal University and the Kuban State Agrarian University. They have long appreciated the level of training of agrarian personnel in the State Agrarian University, as well as scientific support from the leadership of the university and the faculty, and they wished the department a jubilee of creative longevity, bright pages, bold projects and new discoveries.

Irina Prokhorova, director of the editorial board of the journal "Agrochemical Bulletin", who was firstly in the SSAU, spoke with admiration of the role of the scientific community, whose representatives, despite political situations, can meet and discuss scientific issues and strengthen scientific communication: "I am very happy that soil scientists are such a devoted people! "She wished the young people who were present to get their place in professional life after receiving agricultural education, and the community of scientists-soil scientists - constructive dialogue to exchange best practices.

Earth, how to save you?

The representative of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Stavropol Territory, the head of the department of melioration and vegetable growing, candidate of agricultural sciences Mikhail Dyrenko, continued the course of the plenary session. From his report, the audience heard an assessment of the state of fertility of agricultural lands in the Stavropol Territory, which occupy 92% of the territory of the province, and those soil-protective measures that are already being undertaken by the department and are still extremely necessary, since no one can satisfy the achieved results. According to M. Dyrenko, coordinated work of machine operators, technologists, managers of enterprises and K (F) X, representatives of science and partner companies of agricultural enterprises should contribute to the preservation of soil fertility and at the same time high yield.

The view of the problems discussed, but from the point of view of the agrochemical service, was presented by Vasily Egorov, head of the agrochemical center "Stavropol" (Mikhailovsk). In particular, among the negative factors of land resources in the region, he particularly emphasized the presence of 90% of arable land for water and wind erosion of soils, 89% for low humus content, 35% for arable land for phosphorus shortage and, in general, despite the measures taken, a negative the balance of nutrients (-18-106 kg / ha), which increases year by year.

Dean of the Faculties of Agrobiology and Land Resources and Ecology and Landscape Architecture, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Esaulko, in his speech, focused on the main activities of the faculties headed by him: "We have preserved the continuity of scientific research and were able to reach a new level of scientific research and short-term experiments material and technical base, which was invested by the leadership of the university more than 300 million rubles. "

It should be noted that scientists of 6 scientific schools and 6 scientific areas, whose subjects testify to the wide coverage of the studied areas of agrarian science, work at the State Agrarian University to achieve the main goal - to develop a saving biologized farming system, to increase soil fertility in the region and improve the ecological situation.

The main base for scientific research is the experimental station, where there are 8 long-term stationary experiments and more than 20 short-term ones. At present agrochemical, agrophysical research is being carried out by a group of scientists led by Doctors of Agricultural Sciences Dorozhko G. and Vlasova O. and assistant professor Sigida M. Under the guidance of the All-Union Research Institute of Agrochemistry the hospital of SSAU has become a place of joint activity with the employees of the Kuban State University, Moscow State University , Stavropol and Krasnodar agro-chemical centers.

Steady attention of agrochemist scientists SSAU is currently attracting the optimization of the supply of agricultural crops with new forms of liquid and solid macro- and microfertilizers in various soil and climatic zones when cultivating them using new technologies, including no-till technology. Developments are conducted both by profile departments of the university, and under the guidance of Professor V. Dridiger together with the staff of the Stavropol Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture.

By the way, Doctor of agricultural sciences Victor Dridiger, who took the next step, spoke about the advantages of this technology (including the main - the preservation of moisture), the influence of no-till on the agrophysical properties of the soil and its fertility, in contrast to the traditional treatment . At the same time, the scientist called on agrochemists to study the issues arising during the application of no-till questions(for example, on the amounts of nitrogen fertilizers introduced) in order to thoroughly understand their solution.

The most complicated questions of the impact of man-made disasters on soil cover through the prism of the existing regulatory framework were raised in message by the head of the department of agrochemistry and agroecology of Nizhny Novgorod State Agricultural Academy, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Vera Titova. After all, sometimes it is extremely difficult for an expert to estimate the amount of damage caused to the soil cover as a result of large-scale technogenic changes in rubles.

From discussions to actions

The plenary session was completed by Valery Tskhovrebov, the head of the Soil Science Department, with his truly "revolutionary" speech. Respected in the scientific community, the professor is known for his unconventional vision regarding the problems of soil science under discussion and even his own philosophy, which always gives rise to an interesting discussion.

According to Professor V. Tskhovrebov and his associates in the person of the department staff, the process of soil formation is unified and there are no multiple soil-forming processes. There are features in the direction of soil formation, due to the composition and quality of the parent rocks, climate, relief. The essence of soil formation is in the biological weathering, accumulation and transformation of weathering products of mineral and organic matter. An agent of soil formation is the living substance of soils. The engine of soil formation is a proton of hydrogen, the primary source of which is water, which decomposes during photolysis (H2O → H + O → H3O).

Another conclusion, voiced by the head of the department, concerns the evolutionary development of the soil, which proceeds consistently from birth to rock to its natural death (neo-breed). Humus is not a cause, but a consequence of soil fertility! - affirm the staff of the Department of Soil Science Department of SSAU. - Sodium is not decisive importance in the genesis of solonetzes. Acidification of soils is global, and their alkalinization is local. The consolidation and consolidation of soils in agrocenoses is not mechanical, but electrochemical. And perhaps, most importantly: increasing the yield of agricultural plants, the use of mineral fertilizers does not increase, but, on the contrary, reduces the fertility of soils, and a huge carry-over of microelements takes place. The new classification of soils, by the way, does not support the department: it needs to be constantly improved, because the soil system will never be stable!

"We excrete the soil system from equilibrium," says Professor Tskhovrebov and considers the use of organic fertilizers (manure) and remineralization of soil as the only acceptable options for improving its fertility. Perhaps, the unusual statements of Valery Sergeyevich will still find a response from those who do not want to confuse the cause and effect, because the measures for improving the fertility of the land-wet nurse depend precisely on this.

It should be noted that, in addition to the general problems of the theory of evolution and soil degradation, the international conference is called upon to discuss the issues of agrochemistry and the problems of optimizing plant nutrition, soil contamination with heavy metals and pesticides, negative effects of soil erosion and deflation, underflooding, salinization and solonetization. The forum participants will have the problems of agrolandscape agriculture, soil biology, land management and cadastre, which they will discuss during the forthcoming 8 sectional sessions.

According to the idea of the organizers, holding a large-scale conference will promote greater public awareness of the importance of soils for Russia's food security, their current ecological condition and prospects. "It is necessary to unite efforts and protect the most valuable asset of our country, what is the soil," consider the participants of the grand forum, which has exposed many white spots in the theory and practice of soil science. However, under current conditions, the problem of ecologically safe and highly effective soil use, the systematization of data on soil cover acquires primary importance. This requires the renewal of the program for assessing the state of soil fertility based on soil and agrochemical surveys; improvement of the training system, including scientific - for the needs of soil science, and other important steps. 

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