Dynamics of soil fertility indicators’ changes in agricultural lands of Karelia

The value of the land as the main area of agricultural production is determined by the level of its fertility or ability to meet the needs of the plants for nutrients, warmth, water, and light. The assessment of the value is conducted to guarantee production of the high yield of crops per unit area. The productivity of agricultural territories is assured by the comprehensive assessment and consideration of all agro-climatic and environmental factors necessary for the normal growth and development of plants. Therefore, a complex of monitoring procedures on the level of soil fertility in a particular farming sector should be conducted to secure promotion of the agro-technical, agrochemical, and ameliorative technologies. Together with other measures they address the need to improve agrochemical, physical, water-physical, and biological properties of the soils in agricultural lands in focus. The process of monitoring agricultural lands of Karelian State Agricultural Experimental Station on the level of soil fertility is conducted to assess all occurring changes in fertility indicators. The survey was carried out in two stages (2008-2012) after all operations of the experimental production facility were terminated. Regardless of the significant decrease in the intensity of agricultural lands’ exploitation, no reduction in soil fertility according to such agrochemical indicators as acidity, content of available phosphorus, and organic matter content was revealed. The stocks of exchangeable potassium decreased marginally (0,1 mg 100 g-1 soil). In terms of the content of major nutrients the soil of regional farmlands appears to be highly-cultivated with the possibility to produce heavy yields of cultivated crops.