The influence of microrelief on the agrochemical properties of chernozems and the yield of spring wheat and barley

The influence of microrelief on the fertility of ordinary chernozems and the yield of cereal crops was studied in the Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe. The microrelief was shown to affect the humus state and the agrochemical properties of the chernozem. The productivity of the cereals was shown to differ by 1.3–2.6 times in the areas where the microrelief was strongly pronounced, and the yield of the cereal crops grown in depressions was lower by 1.1–1.8 times as compared to that on the flat areas. The correlation between the plant productivity and the humus content and the pH salt in the soil was revealed. In order to take into account the influence of the microrelief and to reduce its effects on the yield of crops, the scale of soil and agrochemical investigations is recommended to be increased. Within the boundaries of the existing agricultural lands, the geochemical zones of removal, transport, and accumulation of soil material should be determined.