• Authors:
    • Efent'ev, A. N.
    • Grigorov, M. S.
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Maize cultivation has a great potential in Russia with the current area under crop of 2.5 million ha and the prospective grain yield of 2.38 t/ha by 2015. The main reason for unstable yield of maize grain in Russia is water shortage in arid climate conditions of steppe zone. An author gives an overview of maize cultivation techniques in arid areas including fertilization, different irrigation methods, irrigation norms and regimes, irrigation machinery, as well as maize cultivars suitable for dry climate conditions. Effects of irrigation rate and fertilization on productivity of maize hybrid Povolzhskii 20 SV were studied in the production enterprise "Lider" of the Volgograd region in 2010. The maximal grain yield of 6.65 t/ha was achieved by applying irrigation rate of 3600 m 3/ha and 220:100:60 kg of NPK/ha.
  • Authors:
    • Grebennikov, V.
    • Shipilov, I.
    • Kushch, E.
  • Source: Kormoproizvodstvo
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Impacts of perennial legume-grass mixtures on regulation of soil fertility processes were studied in the Stavropol region, Russia in 2006-09. The mixtures consisted of wheat grass, sainfoin, melilot, alfalfa and bluegrass. Growth and development of roots, above-ground biomass and accumulation of organic compounds in soil were measured during the experiment. The total biomass yield of the 5-component mixture reached 9.62 t/ha at the end of the fourth year. Authors recommend this mixture for phytomelioration. The detailed data on yield dynamics of legume-grass mixtures are presented in 2 tables.
  • Authors:
    • Stepannikov, V.
    • Popova, E.
    • Popov, N.
  • Source: Mezhdunarodnyi Sel'skokhozyaistvennyi Zhurnal
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Problems associated with the organization and provision of irrigation in the arid regions of Astrakhan Province, Russia, for the efficient use of both water and land are discussed. Recommendations are made for modernizing the structures of irrigated land use on the basis of scientifically based crop rotations. Economic evaluations of the main indicators of irrigated farming efficiency allowed farming systems to be developed for the Province's various natural and climatic zones and according to farm type (for example, meat or dairy farms, and farms devoted to growing cereals, rice, vegetables, cucurbit crops, fodder crops or potatoes).
  • Authors:
    • Dem'yanov, N.
  • Source: Ekonomika Sel'skokhozyaistvennykh i Pererabatyvayushchikh Predpriyatii
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: According to official Rosstat data, Russian production of cereal grains totalled 60 959 560 tonnes in 2010, down from 97 110 960 tonnes in 2009. Production of all main types of grain fell significantly between 2009 and 2010. Wheat production totalled 41.51 million tonnes in 2010 (compared with 61.74 million tonnes in 2009), while production of barley totalled 8.35 million tonnes (down from 17.88 million tonnes in 2009), rye production was 1.64 million tonnes (4.33 million tonnes in 2009), cereal maize 3.08 million tonnes (3.96 million tonnes in 2009), and oats 3.22 million tonnes (5.40 million tonnes in 2009). Rice was the only major crop to record increased production, at 1.06 million tonnes in 2010 compared with 910 000 tonnes in 2009. The most marked decreases in cereal grain production in 2010 were recorded in the Privolzhskii, Central and Far East Federal Districts, where 2010 production levels were 30.14%, 45.03% and 51.14% of 2009 totals, respectively. A temporary ban imposed on the main types of cereal grain from mid-August 2010 onwards meant that export volumes were insignificant in the period from September 2010 to March 2011, with rice accounting for virtually all exports in this period. Imports were expected to total 0.95-1.3 million tonnes in the 2010-2011 season, with the bulk of these imports expected to occur after February 2011 as domestic grain stocks were exhausted. A decision of the Customs Union (covering Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan) published on 1 March 2011 indicated that imports of wheat, rye, barley, oats and maize prior to 30 June 2011 would not be subject to import duties. Russian cereal grain consumption is forecast to total approximately 64 million tonnes in 2010-2011, approximately 11 million tonnes lower than in 2009-2010. The main reason for lower consumption is a decrease in utilization of cereal grains in animal feeds. Total cereal grain production was expected to increase again to approximately 88.17 million tonnes in the 2011-2012 season. Trends affecting cereal grain production, exports and prices in Ukraine and Kazakhstan in 2010-2011 are also briefly discussed, together with trends affecting international cereal grain markets and prices.
  • Authors:
    • Lednev, N.
    • Lednev, A.
  • Source: Russian Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 37
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: It is shown that the application of high doses of organic and mineral fertilizers (N 60P 60K 60+60 t/ha manure) and plowing under vetch and oats as green manure makes it possible in low-humified agrozems to reduce soil acidity by 0.5-0.6 pHKCl units, increase total exchangeable bases by 3.1-4.3 mmol/100 g soil, and increase organic matter content by 0.32-0.41%. This variant can be the basis of the technology of rehabilitating low-humified soils, since it provides a substantial increase of their fertility at a relatively low cost.
  • Authors:
    • Osetrov, D.
  • Source: Ekonomika Sel'skokhozyaistvennykh i Pererabatyvayushchikh Predpriyatii
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: In 2006-2009, total annual production of food and feed grain crops in Russia's Volgograd Oblast' averaged 3 652 300 tonnes, of which the main food crops (winter and spring wheat, rye, buckwheat and millet) accounted for 85.8%, the main feed crops (barley, oats, cereal maize and legumes) 14.1%, and other food and feed crops 0.1%. In 2001-2005, the region's total annual production of food and feed grain crops averaged 3 075 500 tonnes, of which the main food crops accounted for 78.9%, the main feed crops 21.1%, and other food and feed crops 0.0%. Total production of food grains, increased significantly (29.1%) between the 2001-2005 and 2006-2009 periods, with this growth largely attributable to higher harvests of winter wheat (up 50.1%). Total production of feed grains fell by 20.4% between the 2001-2005 and 2006-2009 periods, with harvests of barley, oats and legumes falling by 45.9%, 34.8% and 37.2% respectively, although cereal maize output more than quadrupled. On average in the 2006-2009 period, 1 755 000 tonnes/year of cereal grains were exported outside the region, and 112 000 tonnes/year were imported. Analysis of actual consumption of cereal grains in Volgograd Oblast' shows that total regional consumption averaged 1 919 000 tonnes/year in 2006-2009, of which 19.3% was used for seeds, 62.1% for animal feeds, 13.0% for food purposes, and 2.4% for other industrial processing, with 3.2% losses. A very similar usage pattern was recorded in 2001-2005. It is anticipated that demand for feed grains will rise as a result of implementation of government agricultural policies aimed at stimulating animal production, including the priority national programme "Development of the agro-industrial complex". While 62.1% of cereal grains consumed in Volgograd Oblast' in 2006-2009 were used in animal feeds (1 191 000 tonnes/year), feed crops accounted for only 14.1% of the region's cereal grain output (515 200 tonnes/year). Consequently many enterprises in the animal production segment were forced to use significant volumes of food grains, particularly wheat, for production of animal feeds. This pushes up the price of feeds, and also causes imbalances in the nutrient composition of feeds. Production of food grains in Volgograd Oblast' significantly exceeds demand, and the percentage of total cereal grain production accounted for by food grains is continuing to rise. However the region's food industry still suffers from shortages of some types of cereal grain. In order to correct the problems that have been identified with regard to cereal grains production in Volgograd Oblast', a strategy based on formation of clusters of cereal grain producers, processors and end users is recommended. Recommendations for improvements to the structure of cereal grain production in the region are also presented. These include significant increases in volumes of production of feed crops, in particular oats, maize, legumes and triticale.
  • Authors:
    • Brazhnikova, T.
    • Shpakov, A.
  • Source: Kormoproizvodstvo
  • Issue: 10
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The article presents the main results of research into productivity and nutritive qualities of grain forage of winter wheat, winter rye, winter triticale, barley, and oats, on sodpodzolic soils in the Central natural and economical area.
  • Authors:
    • Vinnichek, L.
    • Ivanov, A.
  • Source: Mezhdunarodnyi Sel'skokhozyaistvennyi Zhurnal
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: In Russia's Penza Oblast', cereal grain crops account for 58.1% of receipts from crop sales, sugarbeets account for 26.9%, and oil bearing crops 5.8%. Penza Oblast' can be divided into four different zones, each of which is characterized by different patterns of crop production. These zones are: (1) Vadinskii-Mokshanskii, comprising 12 raiony (administrative districts) in the Central and North Western parts of the oblast'; (2) Belinskii-Serdobskii, comprising seven raiony in the South and South West of the oblast'; (3) Nikol'skii-Gorodishchenskii, comprising three raiony in the North East of the oblast'; and (4) Kuznetskii-Lopatinskii, comprising five raiony in the South East and East of the oblast'. Zone (1) is characterized by average productivity soils, and includes 48.8% of the total land area used for cereal grain production in the oblast', 50.6% of land used for sugarbeet production, and 23.6% of land used for sunflower cultivation. Zone (2) has the highest productivity soils in the oblast', and accounts for 35.0% of the total land area used for cereal grain production in the oblast' and 49.4% of land used for sugarbeet cultivation in the oblast'. The fertility of most soils in zone (3) is poor, resulting in low productivity. Zone (3) accounts for just 4.0% of the total land area used for cereal grain production in the oblast', and technical crop production in this zone is almost nonexistent. Zone (4) accounts for 12.1% of the total land area used for cereal grain production in the oblast' and 31.5% of land used for sunflower cultivation. Sugarbeets are not grown in zone (4) because of the distance from sugar refineries. The zones in which crop production is most profitable are zones (1) and (2), which are also characterized by the highest degree of diversification. Overall, the most economically efficient crop types produced in the Oblast' are potatoes and sunflowers. Recommendations for the future development of different types of crop production in have been formulated on the basis of analysis of natural and economic factors existing in different parts of the oblast'. The recommendations relate to the cultivation of different cereal grain crops (including winter and summer wheat, barley, buckwheat, maize, rye and oats), legume crops (peas and lentils), sugarbeets, oil bearing crops (sunflowers, rape and camelina), potatoes, and other vegetables in the four different zones.
  • Authors:
    • Shostak, Z. A.
  • Source: Russian Meteorology and Hydrology
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue: 12
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The methods are presented of agrometeorological forecasting of winter and spring grain crops for the district, all types of farm units, and field taking account of the regional crop forecast, weather conditions, cereal cropping technologies, and soil cultivation level. The additional yields of winter and spring wheat and spring barley and oat are developed depending on the soil cultivation level, summertime soil moistening, and doses of mineral fertilizers. The method tested on the basis of independent data demonstrated that the accuracy of such forecasts is 83-99% for the fields with intensive cultivation technology and 80% for the farm units.
  • Authors:
    • Mal'tsev, N.
    • Tsybikov, B.
    • Korshunov, V.
    • Batudaev, A.
  • Source: Russian Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue: 6
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: The performance of the following rotation systems with various types of fallow was evaluated at the steppe zone of Transbaikalia, Russia, during 1997-2007: clean fallow [fallow without ground cover]-wheat-oat-oat for biomass (T1); fallow with yellow sweet clover [ Melilotus officinalis]-wheat-clean fallow-yellow sweet clover (T2); fallow with yellow sweet clover-wheat-clean fallow-wheat + yellow sweet clover (T3); fallow with yellow sweet clover-wheat-oat-oat + yellow sweet clover for biomass (T4); fallow with oilseed radish-wheat-oat-oat for biomass (T5); oat for biomass-wheat-oat-oat for biomass (T6); and wheat-wheat-oat-clean fallow (T7). Spring wheat yields and productivity values recorded for fallow with yellow sweet clover (T2, T3 and T4) were as high as those registered for clean fallow (T1). The highest profitability values were obtained with T2 (172.0%) and T4 (170.0%).