Научный журнал

Field studies on the rational use of saline soils in Central Yakutia have been performed. Solonized and alkaline soils occupy about 30% of the arable land in the country. Soil scientists refer to Central Yakutia as a territory of sulfate and soda salt accumulation. Under conditions of permafrost in Central Yakutia, the known methods of increasing the fertility of saline and solonized lands are ineffective because of their salinity and the hydrologic cycle in the seasonally thawing layer of 2.0-2.2 m thick. The specific conditions of Central Yakutia-the short growing season, cold and poor soil (the freezing of soil for eight months in winter stops all biological and biochemical vital processes), and nonpercolating water conditions-define the low biological activity and fertility of frozen soil, which requires new methods for increasing the biological activity and soil fertility in the conditions of the cryolithozone. Under these conditions, the embedding of gypsum into the 0- to 40-cm layer displaces 62.3% of the total Na. As a result, the yield of forage crops increases by 40%, and the soil pH decreases by 1.1 (to 7.54).