We all know from distant childhood that the richest harvest can be achieved only by growing plants on black soil fields. They contain a large amount of humus, forming on loamy soils for many hundreds of years. The process of decay has endowed the land of southern Russia with many nutrients, which allows us to now get a good harvest every year.
Unique properties
Such soil was called pure soil due to its black color. Below are the reasons why chernozem is considered the best fertile soil:
- Black color was obtained in the process of plant decay and the formation of humus in the earth's layer.
- Typically, the fertile layer goes to a depth of sixty to one hundred and twenty centimeters.
- Lumpiness and granularity provide plant roots with sufficient water and air.
- The chernozem contains a large number of useful trace elements, such as calcium (about 70%), humic acids (about 15%), magnesium (no more than 20%), as well as nitrogen, phosphorus and iron.
Varieties
Chernozem soils are divided by agronomists into several types. Ordinary black soil is geographically located in the steppe area. Leached from the forest-steppe zones. It is obtained in the process of decay of cereal plants. Podzolized chernozem is formed in deciduous forests. Typical is formed on loamy soils due to rotting of grass and cereals. Southern chernozem is in the steppes.
The type of chernozem primarily depends on the climate and plants growing in these parts. Mikhail Lomonosov spoke about the beneficial properties of such land in his works in the 18th century, suggesting that these soils were formed as a result of the decomposition of plants and animals for a very long time. In the XIX century, the German scientist Peter Simon Pallas put forward a hypothesis about the origin of black soil as a result of the shallowing of the Black and Caspian seas.
Leached chernozem: origin and occurrence areas
Since this article has a narrow focus and mainly talks about leached chernozems, it is worth describing this fertile soil in more detail. As mentioned above, this type is formed in areas of the forest-steppe zone due to rotting of cereal plants and occupies more than 2% of the territory of the Russian Federation.
By external signs, there is a high similarity of leached chernozem to podzolized. This is primarily due to the color of the soil on the upper horizons of fertile land: it is saturated dark gray in the upper layers. This color the earth received due to the long-term process of decaying of cereal plants, which eventually form a fertile layer of humus. You can also observe a clear boundary between the humus layers and clay soil.
Characterization of leached chernozem
This type of soil is found in the northern regions of the forest-steppe territory. Most often, its formation is associated with the presence of predominantly carbonate deposits of various origins.
The territory of forest-steppes is covered by a layer of decomposed herbaceous plants, forming a steppe felt. Immediately after it comes an abundant layer of humus, with a thickness of about 40 to 80 centimeters in depth, which is divided into two categories: the upper fine-grained loose layer of dark gray color penetrated by the roots of plants, and the gray-brown layer with clay admixtures of larger fractions, smoothly turning into continuous loam.
By itself, any black soil, if you take it in your hand and squeeze it, is quite greasy. This quality just speaks of its fertility and is due to the high content of humus. This black lumpy earth is also capable of good ventilation, and also perfectly passes water to the deep layers, bringing substances for nutrition to the very roots.
Agricultural application
Arable land in Russia can be regarded as national wealth. The properties of leached chernozem far exceed the characteristics of ordinary land, which can significantly increase productivity. At the same time, there is no need to fertilize the soil abundantly with various additives and minerals.
There are a large number of trace elements useful for plants in the composition of such land. Chernozem is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, sulfur, iron, minerals and trace elements. The areas in which chernozem is most abundant are found to a greater extent in the southern parts of the country. Accordingly, the climate for the growth of fruits and vegetables is also considered favorable. On the soils of leached chernozems, cereal plants such as wheat, rye, as well as sunflower, vegetables and fruits, give a good harvest.
However, the regular cultivation of various crops in chernozem territories threatens poor productivity. This is due to the fact that during the growth process, plants consume a large amount of all nutrients. Over time, the useful resource of the land is depleted. In order to restore the nutritional balance of the soil, it is necessary to rest the land, leaving the fields without sowing for a year or more. Additionally, fertilizing the soil, it is possible to re-use the fields for growing much sooner.
This is about the industrial scale of agriculture. But after all, cottagers and gardeners use chernozem on their sites. Often, when ordering a land machine, it is not used in its pure form, but mixed with sand, peat or compost to give it friability. This method allows you to add additional nutrients to the soil for future crops.
How much is such a black soil
The cost of leached chernozem varies, but the price is by no means low. For a summer cottage, the required amount of land is easy to calculate. One cube of land is about a ton by weight. In the case of ordering large volumes, the price drops significantly. On average, you can find the wholesale price within 350 rubles / m 2 . The purchase of black soil is more beneficial for agriculture, and not for a private individual. Small volumes of fertile land can also be bought in packaged bags, taking advantage of the offers of specialized stores.