Ways to improve low-yield hayfields and pastures in arid areas

Abstract

Relevance. An analysis of the development of feed production in the Stavropol Territory shows that at present, due to the low productivity of natural forage lands, the level of feed production does not meet the requirements for the development of animal husbandry. Illiterate anthropogenic influence in the dry-steppe regions of the region, where about 70% of the number of sheep and 30% of the number of beef cattle are located, led to the fact that up to 300 thousand hectares of hayfields and pastures were subjected to erosion and deflation. However, in recent years, the process of improving forage land has been reduced to a minimum. Therefore, the process of restoring the forage productivity of hayfields and pastures should be given close attention. To this end, in the zone of dry steppes we conducted research on the selection of perennial legumes and grasses of a new generation to create highly productive grassland agrophytocenoses of long-term use. Methods. The experiments were carried out in the conditions of arid and extremely arid zones of the Stavropol Territory. The objects of research were perennial legumes and cereals and their herb mixtures. Restoration of degraded hayfields and pastures was carried out by means of amelioration and superficial improvement. Results. According to our research, by enriching the degenerated grass with valuable legumes and cereals in terms of forage it is possible to significantly increase its productivity and quality. In extremely arid and arid zones the most effective mixtureswere ones involving 4 and 5 components, which yield reached 15.3–23.8 t/ha of green mass, and the yield of feed units per 1 ha was 1.9–2.6 t/ha. The increase in the productivity of the improved herbage had a positive effect on the feed capacity of the land, which increased to 0.83–1.30 conventional heads per 1 ha.