Assessment of the Crimean peninsula soil conditions in the context of viticulture
Soil resources of the Crimean Peninsula were assessed for their suitability for vine growing. Various soil types of the Crimean Peninsula were divided into five groups by the degree of their suitability for a grapevine plant. A large-scale vector map of soil bonitet for grapevine was created. The study used cartographic data on the Crimean Peninsula at a scale of 1:200 000 compiled by the Crimean land use planning expedition of the Republican Design Institute Ukrzemproekt. Maps digitization, analysis of soil types spatial distribution with various land quality assessments and their area calculation was done using geographic information systems. The total area of surveyed soils in Crimea made 2233.0 thousand ha. High bonitet with regards to grapevine growing was established for piedmont chernozems leached on different rocks (91-100 points), southern slightly humic chernozems, including micellar-high carbonate chernozems, dense clay chernozems, carbonate chernozems on eluvium and carbonate diluvium rocks, predominantly carbonate rubbly and pebble chernozems on eluvium of dense and pebble carbonate and carbonaceous rocks, foothill chernozems on dense carbonate rocks, brown mountain carbonate and non-carbonate soils (81-90 points). Soils that received 60 or less points are hardly or not at all suitable for the production of high-quality grapes. Saline, waterlogged and thin soils fell into this category. They made up 26.7% of the total surveyed area. 73.4% of the land is suitable for industrial viticulture and can produce high-quality produce. The South Coast zone, central part of the piedmont region, central steppe, western and southwestern regions of the Crimean Peninsula have the most favorable soil conditions for viticulture development. The coastal north, north-eastern parts, some parts of the foothill areas of the southern and south-western parts of the Crimean Peninsula, as well as significant areas of the Kerch Peninsula developed unfavorable soil conditions limiting effective industrial viticulture.