Improving the efficiency of agricultural land use in the South-East of the Saratov region in the face of climate change

The article analyzes climate change in the dry steppe regions of the Saratov region for the period from 1899–2018. and crop yields for the period from 1933–2018. The trends of improving the moisture supply of the territory in 1902–2007 are revealed. and its aridization in 2008–2018. Noted: an increase in the average annual air temperature and the sum of active air temperatures (≥10°C); decrease in the amount of winter negative air temperatures; increase (by 8–10 days) in the duration of the growing season (which is favorable for late-ripening varieties and hybrids); a decrease in soil freezing (due to which the volume of spring runoff of steppe rivers decreased from 50–95 to 3–19% of the total volume). The need to adapt crop production to changing climatic conditions is emphasized. Based on studies of the relationship between the cycles of 11 and 22-year solar activity (SA) with the amount of precipitation and the yield of grain crops in the Novouzensky district of the Saratov region, a forecast of favorable and unfavorable years for the cultivation of cereal crops was developed, which allows taking into account possible climatic risks and taking the necessary management decisions.