METHODS OF RAISING AGRICULTURAL YIELD IN THE NONCHERNOZEM ZONE OF THE USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700150420-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 13, 2011
• Sequence Number: 420
• Publication Date: December 14, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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PUBLISHED Daily newspaper
WHERE
PUBLISHED Moscow
DATE
PUBLISHED 31 Jul 1953
LANGUAGE Russian
COUNTRY um
SUBJECT Economic.- Agriculture, crop yields,
CENTRAL INLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION FROM
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DATE DIST. /!f Dec 1953
NO. OF PAGES 4
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
METHODS OF RAISING AGRICULTURAL YIELD
IN THE NORCHERNOZEM ZONE OF THE USSR
I. Tyurin, Corr Mem, Acad Sci USSR
Dir, Soil. Inst'imeni'Dokuchayev,,.
Aced Bai USSR
Successful solution of the principal task set for USSR agriculture by the
19th Party Congress, namely, to attain a further rise in the yield of all agri-
cultural crops, depends to a great extent on the intensive development of land
cultivation and animal husbandry in the vast nonchernozem zone of the Soviet
Union.
The nonchernozem zone of the European USSR occupies an area exceeding 265
million hectares. Within this area, there are 25 administrative oblasts and
autonomous republics of the northern and central RSFSR and five whole republics,
the Belorussian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, and Karelo-Finnish SSRs.
Natural conditions in this zone differ substantially from those in the
southern forest steppe and steppe regions.
In periods of heavy precipitation and, especially, in spring after the
snow has melted, the soil remains very wet for a long tim,; this extreme wetness
makes it difficult to work the soil and lovers the quality of work performed c.%
it. Consequently, it is necessary to apply special soil improvement and drain..
age measures.
In general, the climate of the nonchernozem zone is adequately favorable
for the growth and development Lf a large number of cultivated plants. J,ncluding
such grain crops as rye, wheat, oats, and barley and the valuable ..ustrial
crop, flax. Soil conditions in the nonchernozem zone are less fa;,.able for
the development of agriculture, and need basic improvement.
TRIBUTION -1
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Throughout the nonchernozem zone, there is a predominance of podzolic soils,
interspers-1 in various combinations with peaty soils in marshy areas and with
meadow soils in river valleys.
Podzolio:;soils.,ccn ain~littlehumus and are deficient in mineral elements::??
essa.y for;,plantgrowth. Where agricultural land utiljatjo practices are.
backyard, these,.sojlD iire characteristically unfertile., But by,applying:?rational
agricultural practices and land improvemeciL measures, it is possible to create
on podzolic soils a surface layer which is no less fertile than chernozem.
As shown by the experience of leading kolkhozes and the data of experi-
mental institutions, it is fully possible to obtain in the nonchernozem zone
per-hectare yields of 30-40 quintals of grain, more than 30 metric tons of
potatoes, and more than 50 quintals (even 100 quintals, in some cases) of
perennial hay. And such yields, naturally, are not the highest possible.
Bog soils of the nonchernozem zone, on the other hand, contain much humus
and organic matter in the form of peat; in fact, they often contain more humus
than is found in chernozem soils. Through drainage and special agrotechnical
measures, bogs can be converted into highly productive cultivated land,
The nonchernozem zone of the European USSR is largely characterized by
rolling terrain. The rolling hills are almost everywhere covered with great
numbers of large and small rocks or boulders.
The variety of natural conditions and the rocky soil necessitate breaking
the arable land up into small fields, making it difficult to use large, modern
agricultural machinery for working the soil and harvesting the crops. However,
even these drawbacks can be overcome in most cases through land improvement
measures directed toward combining fields, draining swampy areas, and removing
rocks.
One of the basic measures for improving land cultivation conditions in the
nonchernozem zone is to deepen the surface layer of soil which is plowed and
cultivated. Only deeper working of this soil layer, in conjunction with other
agrotechnical and land improvement measures, will make possible a decisive
improvement in the water filtration, heat absorption, and plant nutrition
qualities of podzolic and bog soils.
In most kolkhozes and sovkhoses of the nonchernozem zone, the surface layer
of old arable land is already being worked to a depth of 20-22 centimeters
instead of the former 12-15 centimenters; and it is planned to increase, the
plowing depth to 25-27 centimenters. Plowing to this depth will assure a con-
siderable rise in crop yield, but plowing to a depth of even 25-27 centimeters
cannot be considered the final answer in every case to the creation of highly
productive soil.
In a considerable portion of the nonchernozem zone, there are podzolic
turfy soils; below these, there is a quite thick podzolic horizon, which is
deficient in both mineral elements and silty loan particles that play an
important role in soil structure formation. But below the podzolic horizon, at
a depth of 30-40 centimeters, lies a horizon which, as a rule, contains silty
loam particles. In such cases, it is expedient to bring about a basic improve-
ment of the surface plowed layer through partial introduction of the material
from the bottommost horizon.
This can be accomplished by s single or occasionally ?repeated plowing to
a depth of up to 40-45 centimeters with a suitable plow, which, however has not
yet been developed. In the case of heavy clayey loam soils with a very heavy
clayey layer under the plowed layer, it is best not to increase the plowing
depth but,,' loosen up this clayey layer with a subsoil plow without bringing
soil from thi. layer to the surface.
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regions, deeper plowing is made ~difficult ybyPtheFrockissLoftthenscii~.esMethods
for gathering rocks from the fields with suitable machines have been developed;
it is only necessa:j to assure mass production of such machines and their distri-
bution to MPS in the rocky regions.
Rational solution of the deeper-Plowing problem demands a many-sided
approach. It is necessary to establish the difference in structure and qualities
between podzolic and podzolic turfy soils, both of which are found so widely in the
nonchernozem zone. It is necessary for s.lentific research and experimental
institutions to conduct broader and more intensive investigations, with soil
scientists, agricultural engineer;, and machine designers taking part. Such
studies will permit the develop-ant and appli at'on of more acceptable methods
for basic improvement of the plowed laver.
A sure method of obtaining large harvest= on podzolic soils, naturally
deficient in nutritive eirents, in a general application of fertilizers. Many
podzolic soils also have in acid reaction; to eliminate this, it is necessary to
apply lime. Application of organic and mineral. fertilizers in conjunction with
lime will assure obtaining large harvests of both grain crops and perennial
grasses, while at the same time further improving the soil and raising its
For speedy, basic improvement of podzolic soils, especially those put to
productive tee in recent years, it is necessary to use other sources of organic
fertilizer as well as manure. These include peat and also certain crops serving
as green manure, such as alfalfa, sweet clover, etc.
Bog peat serves as a basic material in the preparation of peat composts;
it may be mixed with manure, feces, lupine, vetch, mineral fertilizers, or lime.
Peat resources for fertilizer purposes are enormous in the nonchernozem zone
and may be found in almost every region.
Besides organs,7 fertilizers, mineral fcrt.i.ltzers of all types must be widely
applied to podzolic soils. Experimental and e_i-ntlfie research institutions
have already done much work to clarify the effectiveness of mineral fertilizers
and .Lime, to fix amounts to be applied, and to establish times and methods of
application. But further and more intensive study is necessary, r+articularly
in regard to testing of new fertilizers; also necessary is the speedy intro-
duction of already developed methods for preparing and applying various organic
and mineral fertilizers. Particular attention should be paid to bacterial
fertilizers.
In connection with soil Improvement measure;, it is necessary to carry out
intensive work on plant Improvement and speedy introduction of already developed
new varieties, such as several new wheat varieties developed by Academician N. V.
Ts itsi.n.
Measures for controlling water supply in the soil are of great .Mportance.
Agrotechnical. measures for raising crop yields cannot be properly applied on
excessively wet soils.
Uneven precipitation during the year is the principal reason for temporary
excessive wetness of podzolic soils. The total annual precipitation of 500-650
millimeters does not exceed the amount needed by plants to yield a large harvest.
Therefore, the struggle against temporary excessive wetness in spring and fall,
seldom in summer, should he directed toward storing the excessive moisture in
the soil for the use of plants during the succeeding dry periods and not toward
its permanent removal.
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This task can be solved most successfully through a combination of land
improvement and hydraulic improvement measures. The best t
(hydraulic improvement)
f
ype o
drainage
offensive aetwcrk )f open ditch subsurface drainage of the water into an
off. es which serve as collectors of the water drained
and animal particularly great significance for the development of land cultivation
mal husbandry in the nonchernozem grow many agricultura zone is the problem of putting swamps
lab agricultural production. On properly drained bog soils, it is possible to
l crops successf
trees. Attention ought to be paid to ll uthey, including berry bushes and evenvegetablefruits
possibilities of growing
and fodder and ensilage crops on these soils, any additional supplies of fodder
and ensilage crops so obtained would aid the development of animal husbandry.
produMirmportant is the teak of improving the quality and increasing the
pr duc of natural r lrf ado s. Meadows, including hay lands and
about the eo
out 0 pY several tens of millions of hectaresa-- an ,
70 Percent as great as the total arable area. At present, most naturalea
meadows have a low yield and at the same time produce low-quality grasses.
Flrrther development of animal husbandry requires basic improvement of the meadows.
Scientific data and experience ahoy that it is possible to create ding meadows in the nonch three. types
river
river bottom meadows. ernozem zone: upland valley, lowland, and
Application on a wide scale of agrotechnical and land improvement measures
and the assistance of scientific and experimental institutions will
decisive rise in soil cultivation and animal husbandry productivity in the
chernozem zone of the USSR. permit a
non-
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