Abstract:
Crop yield, as well as crop rotation productivity in general, is an integral indicator of soil
fertility, and its level is determined by a complex combination of soil, biological, and weather
factors, the crop fertilization system, and the set and scheme of crop rotation. Among the
components of agricultural management systems, a leading role is played by the crop rotation
system, which is based on scientific principles. The effectiveness of various crop rotations depends
on the saturation with grain, technical, and fodder crops.
Ecological fertilization systems, such as plant residues, micronutrients, humus, and
microbiological fertilizers, involve adherence to natural biological laws, including the
accumulation of organic matter, enhancement of microbiological activity, and increased
availability of nutrients for agricultural crops.
Recently, there has been a need to provide the population with protein. Significant attention
has been focused on soybean cultivation. It is a high-yielding crop, and its yield potential largely
depends on the choice of predecessor. Research on soybean cultivation in monocultures and the
possibility of different degrees of saturation of crop rotations with this crop in our region has not
been conducted.
Therefore, there is a need to develop new schemes that differ from previous ones in terms of
higher saturation of crop rotations with high-yielding crops, a wide range of doses and ratios of
essential nutrients in the fertilization system of intensive grain crop rotations with short rotations.
A real and effective way to halt the degradation of chernozem soils is the purposeful use of
by-products of crop production (straw from cereal and leguminous crops, corn and sunflower
stalks) as fertilizers, combined with other intensification factors.
The results of our research have shown that under dry vegetation conditions, especially for
late-maturing crops, the fertilization system had the most significant impact on crop rotation
productivity. The most significant increases in grain units yield, feed units, and digestible protein
were observed using the organic-mineral fertilization system. Higher rainfall and moderate air
temperatures neutralized the effect of fertilizers and increased the influence of the crop rotation
factor on productivity.
Among the studied crop rotation models, the highest productivity for grain units (5.45 t/ha),
feed units (5.85 t/ha), and digestible protein (0.74 t/ha) was observed in the variant using the
organic-mineral fertilization system in a grain-fallow-row crop rotation with up to 20 % soybean
saturation.