WINTER WHEAT PRODUCTIVITY DEPENDING ON AGROPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF LEACHED CHERNOZEM IN THE WEST CISCAUCASIA
Growing crops always affects soil fertility, unfortunately, not always for the better, which in turn affects the yield. Under current economic conditions, intensive application of mineral fertilizers led to the deterioration of chernozem soils. It is possible to maintain humus balance only with the application of organic fertilizers in combination with green manure. This will return 60% of the nutrient removal to the soil due to organic matter, and only the remaining percentage through mineral fertilizers to maintain soil fertility. Humus affects the size of soil aggregates. The soil aggregate composition has a direct impact on the air and water regime. The influence of the ratio of the total blocky (>10 mm) and silt (<0.25 mm) fractions to the agronomical valuable (10-0.25 mm) fraction which is the coefficient of structure affecting soil compaction, has an effect. Soil density has a direct impact on providing plants with water and air for growth and yield formation, and controls the degree of aeration and the size of soil capillaries. This paper discusses the research findings of the multifactorial permanent experiment conducted at the Kuban State Agricultural University. The influence of various winter wheat cultivation technologies on the agrophysical properties of leached chernozem and its productivity was studied. The technologies differed in basic tillage and fertilizer system. In a seven-course grass-grain-row crop rotation (alfalfa - 28.5%; winter wheat - 28.5%; soybean - 14.3%; maize - 14.3%; sugar beet - 14.3%) seven technologies of winter wheat cultivation were studied. Each variant included a system of basic treatments and a fertilizer system after alfalfa of the second year as forecrop. It was found that the growing technologies of winter wheat of the Graf variety had a positive effect on the water and air regime of the leached chernozem degrading in the lowland pitted agricultural landscape of the central zone of the Krasnodar Region.