Scientists have recorded a deterioration in the quality of soils in a number of regions of Ukraine

Ukraine is known for its chernozem soils – soils with a high level of humus, reaching depths of up to one and a half meters. However, decades of extensive agriculture in the USSR and insufficient soil fertilization after gaining independence have led to a decrease in the fertility of Ukrainian lands, as reported by agronews.ua.

The infographic was prepared based on data from the Institute of Soil Protection – a state scientific institution that has been studying the condition of Ukrainian lands since 1964. The data was taken from the XI survey, the results of which were presented in 2023. The XII survey was supposed to be completed by 2025, and in the coming years, the Institute is expected to present updated data.

As part of the research, the Institute took 0.8 million soil samples from controlled territories of Ukraine and analyzed them for over 20 indicators.

Regions with low soil quality

According to the classification of the Institute of Soil Protection, low soil quality is observed in three controlled regions of Ukraine: Sumy, Volyn, and Zhytomyr.

The last two regions belong to the Polissia region, which also includes the Rivne region, which only slightly exceeds the threshold of low soil quality. Polissia is characterized by high soil acidity and low humus content – on average 2.43%.

On the other hand, Sumy region was once one of the most fertile regions of Ukraine, but due to intensive agriculture, its soils are becoming increasingly depleted. Compared to the previous survey, it is in the Sumy region that the assessment of soil quality has decreased the most.

Regions with average soil quality

Most regions of Ukraine belong to this category, which is why the Institute of Soil Protection distinguishes between average quality of Class V (higher) and Class VI (lower). All regions of Ukraine, except for the aforementioned Polissia and Sumy regions, as well as Kirovohrad and Kharkiv regions, which have high-quality soils, belong to these two classes.

At the same time, soils differ in origin and properties. For example, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, and Zakarpattia regions have a high proportion of acidic soils, while Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions have alkaline soils. This affects which crops grow best in these regions.

Phosphorus saturation also varies: from 56 mg/kg of soil in Chernivtsi region to 176 mg/kg in Kherson region. The analysis shows that overall in Ukraine, the concentration of phosphorus in agricultural soils is decreasing – as well as potassium, another important mineral for farmers.

Odessa, Cherkasy, and Zaporizhzhia regions have the largest humus deficit – 810, 760, and 630 kilograms per hectare respectively. The reason is insufficient fertilization of lands with mineral fertilizers and organic residues.

Regions with high soil quality

According to the results of the XI survey, high average soil quality was recorded only in two regions – Kirovohrad and Kharkiv. In Kirovohrad region, one of the smallest amounts of organic fertilizers was applied, and the zinc content is decreasing.

In Kharkiv region, there is the highest humus content in soils: 4.3%. However, there is also a decrease in the phosphorus and potassium content. As experts at the Institute point out, to increase the humus level in Ukrainian soils, it is necessary to primarily apply organic fertilizers – including peat.

https://agronews.ua