YIELD OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS UNDER LONG-TERM APPLICATION OF MINERAL AND ORGANOMINERAL FERTILIZATION SYSTEMS IN FIELD CROP ROTATION

Abstract

Against the backdrop of global warming and other unfavorable factors, one of the main tasks of modern agricultural production is to improve crop cultivation technologies. Thanks to its traditionally strong food exports, Ukraine is one of the guarantors of global food security. Before the full-scale war, Ukraine ranked among the top five grain exporters in the world. However, prolonged military actions have led to a deterioration in food security within the country, primarily due to disrupted logistics chains, destroyed infrastructure, damaged farms and production facilities, and a decrease in food production at operational enterprises. A lack of financing and the need for significant cost-cutting have resulted in a 50–60 % reduction in fertilizer application. According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, fertilizer use remains one of the most pressing issues for farmers. Large and medium-sized producers are more prepared to apply fertilizers in full. However, fertilizer application is expected to reach only 47 % of the agronomic requirement—half of the necessary level. Only 10 % of respondents are willing to apply fertilizers at 100 % of the required amount [5]. Effective use of mineral fertilizers in crop rotation helps to increase the yield and quality of products, which is important for ensuring the economic security of the country. The purpose of the article is to study the effectiveness of long-term application of fertilizers in field crop rotation on the yield of agricultural crops. This includes determining the optimal doses and types of fertilizers that provide consistently high yields and improve soil quality, as well as identifying possible negative effects of long-term use of fertilizers and developing recommendations for their minimization. The studies were conducted in a stationary experiment at the Department of Agrochemistry and Soil Science of the Uman National University of Horticulture and showed that with systematic crop rotation by type of fruiting with simultaneous systematic fertilization, the conditions for plant growth and development are improved. Barley, peas and clover are less sensitive to fertilizers than crops such as silage corn, sugar beet and winter wheat, which show higher productivity from fertilizers. Scientific novelty of the resulting studies: 1) for the first time, a long-term (since 1964) study was conducted on the effect of long-term use of fertilizers in a 10-field crop rotation on podzolized heavy loamy chernozem in the conditions of the Right- Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine; 2) optimal doses and types of fertilizers (mineral and organic) were determined, which ensure a consistently high yield of agricultural crops; 3) the effect of agrometeorological conditions on crop productivity and the efficiency of fertilizer application was assessed; 4) a productivity index was introduced and used to assess the efficiency of crop cultivation in crop rotation at different levels and systems of fertilization. Practical significance of the research results: 1) recommendations for the optimal use of mineral and organic fertilizers in field crop rotation were developed; 2) the use of the developed cultivation technologies contributes to an increase in crop yields, which allows increasing the gross harvest of products without a significant increase in fertilizer costs; 3) the research results allow adapting agricultural practices to regional climatic and soil conditions, which increases the efficiency of fertilizer use and reduces the risks associated with climate change.