In Russia, like all over the world, agricultural production is the vital sphere of economic complex.
Investigations made in the Agricultural Chemistry Service of Russia showed that increasing application of fertilizers during 1965-1990 provided the improvement of soil fertility: humus content increased by 0.1-0.3% in arable lands; the number of lands with pH<5 reduced 2 times, the annual rate for increase of pH is 0.1; the annual change rate of P2O5 content in soddy podzolic soils is 0.1-0.2 mg/100g soil, 0.3 mg/100g in forest steppe soil, 0.2mg/100g in steppe soil; the annual change rate of K2O becomes 0.11-0.15 mg/100g in soddy podzolic soils.
By 1990 in all nature-agricultural zones there have been reached the level of sustainable positive balance for all nutritious elements: nitrogen balance intensity in non-chernozem zone is 120-200%, that of phosphorous is 260-640%, for potassium is 100-220%; in steppe and forest steppe regions the figure is close to optimum – 120-130% for nitrogen, 250-260% for phosphorous and 50-80 % for potassium. Bulk yield of grain by this period has become stable and accounts 115-120 million tons.
Period 1990-2000 can be characterized by the reduction of chemicals used from 10 to 1.5 million tons of active ingredient and negative balance of tested elements: nitrogen balance intensity in non-chernozem zone is 80-90%, that of phosphorous is 80-200%,
and potassium - 10-20%. Bulk yields of grain reduced by 40-50% that is 60-80 million tons.
The efficiency of fertilizers in land husbandry of Russia is very high and allows providing high yields and improvement of soil fertility.
Long-term test data of the Geographic Network say about high efficiency of fertilizers used in all climatic zones of Russia. Optimum doses of fertilizers N60P60K40-60 used in temperate humid conditions provide the additional yield of 30-40% (0.6-0.8 t/ha), in dry conditions – 13-18% (0.2-0.6t/ha).
Generalization of test results for non-chernozem zone of the Geographic Network showed that application of fertilizers on heavy soils with doses N75-110P70-80K100-150 in crop rotation with 50 % tiller crops in combination with manures is enough to support and increase the starting levels of P and K and organic substance including improvement of soil fertility compared with the control that means 70-100% - 4-4.5 t/ha of grain units; for light soils such an effect can be reached after application N60P50K70.
