Abstract

As a result of the research, optimal criteria for agrophysical indicators of fertility of light chestnut soils for grain crops were determined while minimizing tillage. The purpose of the research: to study the effect of treatments on agrophysical and agrochemical indicators on light chestnut soils of the Lower Volga region. The research was carried out in 2016–2020 in the fields of the Institute of Agriculture in conditions of dry farming. Accounting and observations were carried out in accordance with the recommendations on methods of conducting observations and research in the field. Water-physical indicators: humidity in %., density in g/m3 - according to the Kaczynski method, the volume of the cutting ring is 100 cm3, in three times repetition to a depth of 0–100 cm. Structural and aggregate composition of the soil according to Savinov. It was found that the higher content of nutrients in steam fields is mainly during non-fallow tillage, in some years, which has optimal moisture availability, and a control (dump) variant in comparison with lower indicators for surface treatment in all years of research and amounted to: nitrogen - on fallow -7.53–9.03, dump - 7.79–8.24 and surface - 5.936.87 mg/100 g of soil; the phosphate regime of light chestnut soil was affected by the use of minimal treatment (according to the background of the surface) thus, its increase occurred from 5.93 to 8.22 mg/100 g of soil; for potassium - 36.78 mg/100 g of soil, surface - 36.02 mg/100 g, dump - 35.11 mg/100 g of soil. For comparison, the article presents the results on the accumulation of NPK, when using a direct seeding system, i.e. NO-TILL without the intervention of mechanical tillage. Moisture reserves in the autumn-winter period in the meter layer of soil varied depending on the reception of tillage and amounted to: 69.3 mm for dump treatment, 75.7 mm without dump and 62.6 mm surface. On the black steam, by the time winter wheat was sown in the 0–30 cm soil layer, moisture reserves were: 10.7 for dump, 12.1 for dumpless and 6.3 mm for surface treatment, and in the meter layer it was 44.2, 53.8 and 32.4 mm, respectively.