Which soil of the existing species is the most fertile. The most fertile soil Where are the chernozems

V soil types, in which, in addition to small particles - sand, dust, silt (the main composition of any soil) - contains a significant amount of humus and lime, they are called structural. Air easily penetrates into such soils, moisture is well absorbed. They have an increased vital activity of beneficial microorganisms, due to which the reserves available for plants increase. nutrients. Therefore, such soils are more fertile.

What types of soil are considered fertile

A fertile soil is a soil from which plants receive enough nutrients of all kinds and moisture. Rich soil can contain many nutrients, but due to poor structure, they are in a form inaccessible to plants. Poor soil is characterized by an insignificant amount of nutrients, the availability of which for plants is also limited due to its poor structure.

Some vegetable growers make the mistake of believing that the poorer the soil, the more mineral fertilizers should be included in it. Large doses of mineral fertilizers create an excessively high concentration of soil solution in such soils, which is harmful to plants. On poor soils, mineral fertilizers should be applied in the spring and only together with organic fertilizers. The most effective in this case is a garden fertilizer mixture, which is recommended to be mixed with rotted manure or humus before application - one part of the fertilizer to two parts of the humus

V middle lane our country in main soil types the most common are soddy-podzolic, soddy and peat-bog soils.

Soddy-podzolic soils are poor in organic matter, have high acidity: with poor cultivation after watering and rains, they swim, forming a soil crust. Soddy soils are more fertile, rich in organic matter(humus). They are used as the main component of soil for greenhouses and greenhouses, as well as for seedling pots.

Drained peat bog areas (peat bogs), when certain doses of mineral fertilizers and lime are applied, are most favorable for obtaining high yields of vegetables. Particularly good for vegetable growing are lowland peatlands, which contain a lot of nitrogen and have low acidity. With complex use, such peatlands not only constitute excellent agricultural land, but also serve as a source of peat for fertilizer and soil for greenhouse greenhouses. Raised peatlands have high acidity, are poor in nitrogen and other minerals, therefore, for the cultivation of vegetables in open ground are not used. However, high-moor peat is a valuable substrate for hydroponically growing vegetables and a good bedding material for livestock.

According to the mechanical composition, soils are divided into clay, loamy, sandy and sandy loamy. The mechanical composition of the soil is determined by the size of the particles of which it is composed.

Clay soils are heavy, highly cohesive and compact, especially after watering and rain. The soil crust formed in this case sharply impairs the access of air to the roots of plants, such soil warms up poorly and dries out. To increase fertility in autumn (better) or spring, 4-5 kg ​​of peat composts, straw manure, vegetable composts or 0.2-0.3 kg are added to it. wood ash per 1 m². Peat-dung and peat-fecal composts, straw manure close up on clay soil no deeper than 15-17 cm. Mineral fertilizers are usually applied in the spring (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) also at a shallow depth (up to 20 cm); it is better to apply them locally - in rows and holes. This approach to fertilization on heavy loamy soils is combined with an acceptable shallow incorporation of vegetable seeds and potato tubers.

Loamy soils are more structural and fertile than clayey ones. Their nutrients are in a more accessible form for plants. Practically these soils are suitable for growing all types of vegetable crops.

Sandy soils are considered infertile. They pass water quickly. As a result, nutrients introduced into the arable horizon are intensively washed into the lower layers. However, due to rapid warming and good aeration, such soils are of some value for early vegetable growing, subject to a constant increase in their fertility. This is achieved by the systematic introduction organic fertilizers, especially peat composts (if possible, pond silt is also added), better in autumn, but it is possible in the spring, subject to intensive watering. Fertilizer consumption per 1 m² - 4-5 kg ​​of manure or 6-8 peat. You can make fractional - half in the fall to a depth of 17 cm, the rest - in the spring. Seeds are sown on sandy soils, and seedlings are planted deeper than on clay soils.

Sandy loamy soils are more fertile than sandy ones, especially for the cultivation of early vegetables: the structure is better, they retain nutrients and moisture more reliably.

How to determine the mechanical composition of the soil

It is difficult to accurately determine the mechanical composition of the soil without special analysis. However, there are simple tricks that are quite accessible to an amateur vegetable grower.

For example, soil is selected for half a bayonet of a shovel from the arable layer, water is poured into the hole formed and mixed with soil collected from arable land. From the resulting dough, make a sausage and bend it into a ring. If the ring cracks, the soil is loamy; if the dough does not form, the soil is sandy; if the ring does not crack, the soil is clayey.

1. Scale for determining the mechanical composition of the soil

Soil differences by mechanical composition In wet conditions (if the soil is dry, it is moistened)
when rolling when squeezed
Sands are loose The ball cannot be rolled. When rubbed on the palm, no clay particles remain - the palm is clean -
Connected sands The ball cannot be rolled. When rubbed on the palm, clay particles remain -
sandy loam The cord cannot be rolled up, but you can roll the ball The ball crumbles with light pressure.
loams A long cord cannot be rolled up - it breaks and crumbles The ball turns into a cake with cracks along the edges
Clay A long thin cord is formed The ball is compressed into a cake, does not crack at the edges

More than a hundred years ago, V.V. Dokuchaev established the geographic zonality along which the main types of soils on Earth are located. It shows where fertile gray soils are located. On the territory of Russia, zonality is more pronounced than in other countries. This is due to the large extent of the country from south to north and the predominance of flat relief.

Soil types

In the territory Russian Federation zonal change of soils is clearly seen. There are tundra lands, gley, sod-podzolic, podzolic, brown and gray, fertile soils (chernozems), semi-deserts, chestnut, gray, gray-brown. In the subtropics, red and yellow soils are common. In the mountains, a feature of soil change is altitudinal zoning. All types are divided by composition, structure. Soil fertility also influences the classification.

Description of types

The northern part of the country is represented by tundra-gley soils. They are thin, contain a small amount of oxygen. In the forest zone, the most common different types lands. Podzolic lands are formed in the taiga under coniferous forests. Due to the decomposition of coniferous litter, acids are formed that increase mineralization and organic decay. Humus is washed out of the upper layers of water and transferred to the lower layers. As a result of this, the upper layers become whitish, which is why they got their name - podzol. If the top layer is enriched with humus, then such soil is called sod-podzolic.

The most fertile soils - chernozems - are formed in the forest-steppe zone. They are characterized by the absence of a leaching regime, and because of the steppe plants, the soil is enriched with organic substances. Because of this, a large layer of humus is formed. In arid lands, a chestnut layer is formed. They are low in humus. Such soils are found to the south, where the climate is dry and warm, and vegetation is sparse. At close proximity ground water salt marshes are formed.

Chernozems

Chernozem is considered the most fertile soil. It is characterized by black color, grain-lumpy structure. This type land is formed under grassy vegetation in the steppe and forest-steppe zone.

Chernozem is characterized by the following:

  1. Lots of humus. Chernozem contains up to fifteen percent of humus. Because of this, these lands are highly fertile.
  2. Lots of microorganisms. In each type of soil there are microorganisms, but it is in the chernozem that they are the most.
  3. The fertile soils of Russia have a granular-lumpy structure.

harvest land

Chernozem soils have the highest yield. In zones with such land, warm temperatures prevail, stimulating the intensity of metabolism in plants.

play an important role in soil formation. natural conditions, which form a favorable regime for the accumulation of nutrients and their conservation. In the black soil layer there are many worms and bacteria. They create favorable conditions for growing any kind of plants.

Where is chernozem found

In addition to the territory of the Russian Federation, chernozem soils are found in America, Canada, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. The Chernozem region in Russia accounts for about half of all fertile lands on the planet. Also, the chernozem on our territory has a rich composition, while in other countries these lands are poorer.

Types of chernozem

And what fertile soils of all types of black soil are the best? The characteristics of the black earth determine the type. So, according to this criterion, podzolized, typical, leached, southern land is distinguished. In the central part of Russia, chernozem has about eight percent humus. The layers themselves lie at a depth of no more than seventy centimeters.

Steppe chernozem belongs to a typical species. It contains about ten percent of humus. In the layers of North America, the humus content is not more than three centimeters. And this despite the fact that the land with its content of less than two percent is considered to be dead. Of all the black soils of Russia, Voronezh is considered the standard of fertility. It is even exhibited in the museum of France as a symbol of fertility.

Chernozem formation

The formation of chernozem is a long and complex process. It is influenced not only by flora and fauna, but also by the location of the land, the climate of the region. In the process of farming, if the land is not replenished with fertilizers, the quality of the black soil is lost. The cut fertile layer loses its properties after a few years. An example of this is the transportation of chernozem layers to Germany in the post-war period. Over the years, they have lost their properties.

Sale of black soil

V last years Soil sales are growing rapidly. This leads to the destruction of the black earth, the creation of which takes decades. The fertility of the land is influenced by many factors, among which the main one is the type of plants growing on the ground. If the plant has a powerful root system, then the fertility of the chernozem will be better. This is due to the fact that large roots loosen the soil when deepened, allowing oxygen to penetrate deep into the formation. The most fertile soils are those on which trees and shrubs grow.

Chernozem use

Chernozem is delivered to the most different corners planets. It is used in landscaping major cities where the land is depleted. In central Russia, chernozem soils are used to create the necessary fertile layer. With its help, water permeability, granulometric composition, and density are optimized. After the introduction of soil on sandy lands, there is an improvement, an improvement in fertility.

The territory of Russia is vast, but there are few lands favorable for agriculture. More than ten percent of the land area is occupied by tundra, about thirteen percent is wetland, the same amount of land is used in agriculture. The most valuable lands make up about seven percent of the entire country. Half of them are in the Chernozem region: about eighty percent of the country's total production is produced here. Podzolic and chestnut lands are allocated for pastures and hayfields.

The names of soil types come from the names of the climatic zones in which they formed. In the taiga-forest zone there are podzolic and sod-podzolic; in the forest-steppe and steppe - gray forest, chernozems, chestnut; in the subtropical reds and yellows.

Many soils got their name due to the color of their humus horizon: chernozem, gray forest, brown forest, podzol.

The soil contains a large amount of iron compounds on the surface of particles of clay, sand, and silt. It is because of the iron films on the soil particles that it acquires its specific color. The presence of iron hydroxides imparts various shades of reddish brown or yellowish brown to soils. The black color of the soil acquires depending on the presence of humic acid in it.

  • Black color - more than 7%
  • Dark gray - 5...7%
  • Gray - 3...5%
  • Light gray - less than 3%

Podzolicsoil - distributed in the taiga zone. Where coniferous forests grow. Upper layer- forest litter, formed from fallen needles and branches. Below is a whitish layer that does not have a pronounced structure. Below it is a brown horizon, dense, with a high content of clay, the structure is expressed in the form of large clods.

As a result of the decomposition of needles, acids are formed, which, under conditions of excessive moisture, contribute to the breakdown of mineral and organic soil particles. Abundant precipitation, in turn, washes out such soil and removes substances dissolved by acid from the upper humus layer to the lower horizons. As a result, the upper part of the soil acquires a whitish color of ash.

These soils are very acidic and therefore always require liming and full fertilization. Podzolic soil contains only 1 to 4% humus.

In Russia, podzolic soils are common in Siberia and the Far East. Trees on such soils grow much better than crops.

Only at the base of the slopes, in humid places, podzolic soils are considered the most suitable for vegetable growing. The soils of these places have a bluish color and a steel sheen on the cut. However, they tend to be too wet and need to be dried.

Soddy-podzolic soils is a subtype of podzolic soils. They form under small-leaved forests mixed with conifers. They are similar in composition to podzolic soils. Under the forest floor there is a humus horizon, no more than 15–20 centimeters deep, which has a dark brown color, followed by a barren whitish layer.

A characteristic feature of these soils is that they are washed out by water more slowly than podzolic ones, therefore they are more fertile, but they also need liming and fertilizer and can be used for growing vegetables only after improvement.

To do this, gradually, no more than 3 ... 5 centimeters annually, deepen the arable layer and make a large amount of organic, mineral fertilizers and lime. spring processing soddy-podzolic soil should be carried out to a shallower depth than autumn soil, so as not to turn the podzol to the surface.

Gray forest soils are formed in the territory of deciduous forests. An indispensable condition for the formation of such soils is the presence of a continental climate, herbaceous vegetation and the presence of a sufficient amount of calcium (Ca). Thanks to this element, water is not able to destroy the soil structure by removing nutrients.

These soils are colored in shades gray color. The humus content in gray forest soils ranges from 2 to 8 percent. The fertility of these soils is considered average.

Gray forest soils contain slightly more humus than podzolic ones. Despite a certain amount of calcium (Ca) reserves, they still have an acid reaction of the soil environment, and therefore need to be limed.

Brown forest soils are common in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests. These soils are formed only in a temperate warm climate. Soil color brown. The top layer, about 5 centimeters thick, consists of fallen leaves. Below it is a fertile layer up to 30 centimeters thick. Even lower is a layer of clay of 15...40 centimeters.

Brown soils are divided into several subtypes with a palette of shades of brown, the formation of which occurs under the influence of ambient temperature.

Chestnut soils are common in steppes and semi-deserts. This soil has a chestnut, light chestnut and dark chestnut color. Accordingly, there are three subtypes of chestnut soil, differing in color.

On light chestnut soils, agriculture is possible only with abundant watering. On dark chestnut soils, cereals and sunflower grow well even without irrigation.

The chemical composition of chestnut soil is diverse. The soil contains magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca), which indicates a favorable acidity (pH) level for most plants.

Chestnut soil tends to recover quickly. Its thickness is supported by annually falling grass. On it you can get good yields, subject to sufficient moisture. Since the steppes are usually arid.

Chestnut soils in Russia are common in the Caucasus, the Volga region and Central Siberia.

Soddy soils are distributed mainly in Belarus, the Baltic states, in the middle and northern
zones of Russia. They contain a lot of humus, and therefore are structural and fertile. According to the reaction of the soil environment, soddy soils are slightly acidic or neutral.

Chernozems are recognized as the standard. They have an optimal granular structure, they contain a lot of humus, have a high content of nutrients and a neutral reaction of the soil environment. When planting a garden on black soil, fertilizers should be applied only to maintain a balance of nutrients.

Voronezh Chernozem stored in the Paris Chamber of Weights and Measures, being the standard of agriculture.

Peat soils are located in the most humid places, occupy about 7% of the entire territory of Russia and are located mainly in the regions of the North-West, the central strip of Russia, Western Siberia and the Far East.

They are dark, almost black in color when wet. In the thickness, you can always see the incompletely decomposed remains of plants. A bluish clayey horizon lies under the peat layer. Such soils are rich in organic matter, but they lack some absolutely essential nutrients. cultivated plants macro and micronutrients.

Due to their high moisture content, peat soils need good drainage.
Due to poor water permeability, with an excess of precipitation, they swim with water.
Due to poor thermal conductivity, they slowly warm up in the spring, which delays the processing and sowing time.

They also have high acidity and therefore require liming.

Peat soils are divided into several subtypes depending on the peat that forms them.

lowland peat contains the most nitrogen, ash, lime, and therefore slightly acidic. It occurs in hollows, river valleys and depressions.

horse peat much poorer than low-lying nitrogen and ash, as it is located on more high areas. There is very little lime in it, it is sour. Riding peat is suitable for making compost.

transitional peat in terms of nitrogen, ash and lime content, it occupies an intermediate position.

Peat soils after their drainage, making the necessary phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, as well as liming, are successfully used for growing vegetables.

Floodplain soils are formed in river floodplains. During the spring floods of rivers, a lot of silt settles on these soils, which makes them especially fertile. Floodplain soils have a neutral reaction of the soil environment, therefore they rarely need liming. They are rich in phosphorus, but poor in potassium.

On the high part of the floodplain, sandy and loamy varieties of floodplain soils predominate. In terms of structure and supply of nutrients, they are inferior to the soils of the middle part of the floodplain, but they dry out faster, which makes it possible to start processing them earlier. Groundwater here lies deep, and when growing vegetable crops, it is necessary to organize irrigation.

The middle part of the floodplain is represented mainly by loamy soil, which is characterized by a good granular structure and high fertility. Groundwater occurs at a depth of 1.5 to 2 meters, which creates favorable conditions for the water regime for plants. On these soils get the most high yields vegetables and potatoes.

In the lower part of the floodplain, the soils are also fertile, but heavy and excessively wet, which is explained by the high occurrence of groundwater (from 0.5 to 1.0 meters) and the long standing flood. These soils should be drained by arranging drainage ditches, after which they are suitable for growing late vegetable crops, especially cabbage.

Soil map of Russia and CIS countries

Kuban black soil

The most fertile soils on our planet are chernozems (English chernozem or black-soil - chernozem). Classic black soil from the Streletskaya steppe (Kursk province) - 1x1x1 meter (cube) in size, received a gold medal at the Paris International Exhibition, and still stands in the Chamber of Weights and Measures as a standard of fertile soil. This soil cube was brought to the exhibition by the Russian naturalist and soil scientist Vasily Vasilyevich Dokuchaev.

Chernozems became the object of research even before the birth of soil science. In the dodokuchaev period, M.V. Lomonosov in 1763 formulated the thesis about the origin of chernozems "from the decay of animal and plant bodies over time." In the future, facts about the properties and geography of chernozems gradually accumulated, various hypotheses were expressed about their origin, among which there were many interesting ones.

Chernozem research

But for real Scientific research chernozems began with the expeditions of V.V. Dokuchaev. He summarized a huge amount of data about them in the monograph "Russian Chernozem" (1883), which was the beginning of genetic soil science. Chernozem as a type of soil V.V. Dokuchaev singled out in the classification of soils in 1896.

Chernozems are soils formed by herbaceous phytocenoses of the steppe and forest-steppe landscape and bioclimatic zones. The leading process here is the humus-accumulative process, which supports the formation of a deep-humus profile, its structure and increase in trophicity. The characteristic humus profile of chernozems is formed due to the powerful influence of steppe grasses, the root system of which makes up a significant part of their biomass and is able to quickly die off and easily humify.

The value of chernozem

In world agriculture, chernozems are mainly used for sowing the most important food crops: wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflowers, grapes, horticultural, vegetable, horticultural, medicinal, nut-bearing, flower and many other crops. In this regard, chernozems are the most developed soils on the earth's surface, but there are practically no potential resources for expanding arable areas in the chernozem zone.

Agricultural products grown on chernozems are characterized by a very high quality. This is especially true for durum wheat, which has always been popular on the world market. And besides, in the chernozem zone, animal husbandry, poultry farming, beekeeping, etc. are intensively developing. Chernozems, due to their high fertility, are soils of universal suitability for all agricultural crops. crops and fruit plantations. Not by chance, rational use This fertility is the most important task of agricultural production on chernozems.

I never understood people who can devote a whole day to garden work. Why can't you relax on the couch? But, life in a private house implies gardening and continuous work(clean up the yard, pull out weeds, take care of the lawn and flowers). Therefore, when the first opportunity arose, I immediately bought an apartment in the city. I forgot that in the spring you need to buy seedlings.

Now every summer I come to my grandfather and watch how he works non-stop so that his grandchildren and great-grandchildren eat the harvest from the garden. I AM can't stand aside I help my grandfather all the time. Today I dare to reveal the secrets good harvest. Looking ahead, I will say that I need good soil.

What soil is the most fertile: concepts

Rich soil - such a phrase is very often said by "inveterate" gardeners, not fully understanding the main concepts. It is better to use the term fertile soil, which contains potassium, copper, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, humus, nitrogen and phosphorus. If the soil does not contain the above elements, then it is not fertile and not suitable for growing crops.


Determine the exact composition of the soil on suburban area possible with the help of special analysis. The soil sample is given to agrochemical laboratory(a similar analysis is done when the site was taken for large-scale sowing of crops).

Chernozem is the most fertile soil

For a good harvest buy black soil. It has a characteristic color and granular structure. It is called "black gold" » . The soil has high level fertility due to humus and calcium. Chernozem was recognized as the best soil and recharge for garden plants, vegetable crops. If there is no black soil on the site, and you don’t want to spend additional money on buying soil, what should you do? Besides " black gold" We also have other fertile soils.


  • sandy soil;
  • loamy soil;
  • sandy soil;
  • swampy soil.

Important to know: swampy soil not used in pure form(due to high acidity). It is used as an additive.

good harvest depends not only on the soil, but also by the hands of the owner. Learn it.