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АГРОНОМИЯ И ЛЕСНОЕ ХОЗЯЙСТВО
УДК 634.2.64
PASTURES ENRICHMENT BY ECONOMIC VALUABLE LIGNEOUS PLANT SCIENTIFIC BASIS K.N. Kulik, V.I. Petrov A.V. Semenyutina, D.K. Kulik
All-Russian scientific research institute of agrosivilculture
The article presents the different families bushes and sub-shrubs introduction analysis which is based on ecological-biological and economic principles of plants adaptive selection for the degraded pastures enrichment and a perspective on the range of the main taxonomic units with regard to their floristic composition and fodder advantages.
Key words: pastures enrichment, selection criteria, floristic composition, fodder value, bushes, sub-shrubs, introduction.
Degraded pastures of arid ecosystems of the Caspian and Western Siberia are characterized by poor vegetation species composition, low productivity of forage lands with pronounced fluctuations over the years and seasons. Nowadays the enrichment of degraded pastures by economically valuable woody plants is considered as a mechanism for management of natural resources potential through transformation and selection of optimum microclimate food chain related to the adaptation of flora and fauna [1-3].
To enrich degraded pastures by economically valuable plants we sought types and forms of fodder shrubs and sub-shrubs, broad adaptive capacities in the new environment, characterized by high productivity phytomass, good eatability by animals, rapid regrowth in the spring and after grazing.
In order to search the plant samples for degraded pastures the analysis of areas was carried out. For environmental testing in the new conditions the seeds were brought from different geographic locations. [4]
The study of plant samples was carried out in conditions of dry steppe, semi-desert and desert zones (Volgograd and Astrakhan region, Stavropol and Altai Krai), which cover five natural regions (Kulundinsky, Terek-Kuma, Volga-Urals, Chernozemelsky-Picaspian, Ergeninsky-Sarpinsky). When carrying out a program of long-term studies collection of 500 specimens of shrubs and sub-shrubs of different species of 12 families, 50 genera were laid. Stocks of fodder phytomass were determined by accounting during several periods. Chemical analyzes were carried out according to conventional methods. Palatability of individual species was studied by developmental phases [5].
It was found that the productivity of top phytomass and chemical composition of forage depends on the species, age characteristics, plants adaptive capabilities and growing conditions. Productivity is affected by the shoots regrowth energy and their numbers [6]. On brown soils the members of the family Chenopodiaceae produce the greatest amount of phy-tomass (Fig. 1).
100 80
<= 60 0)
a> a.
40 20 0
4
6
1
2
3
5
Beaten mass Dnon eaten mass
Figure 1 - Productivity of the aboveground vegetative species of
Chenopodiaceae :
1 - Kochia prostrata, 2 - Salsola orientalis, 3 - Camphorosma lessingii, 4 - Aellenia subaphylla, 5 - Ceratoidespapposa, 6 - C. papposa x C. ewersmanniana
Ecotypes of plants differed in fodder value and productivity (table 1).
Table 1 - Indicators of economically important traits ecotypes Kochia prostrata under different environmental conditions
Ecotypes location
Indices v. villosissima v. virescens v. canescens
Dry steppe Semi-desert Dry steppe Semi-desert Dry steppe Semi-desert
Aboveground air-dry fodder mass dt / ha 18,2 48,5 24,7 32,9 20,9 28,7
Seed productivity dt/ha 1,5 4,7 2,3 2,9 1,8 2,7
Foliage in the phases of flower-bud formation and blos- 52,7 68,3 54,1 53,1 56,0 65,2
som, %
Eaten part, % 67,8 77,5 75,7 67,0 68,8 72,1
Plants height, cm 85,3 114,3 93,7 74,1 89,0 100,4
Protein content in the phases
of flower-budformation and blossom, % 11,8 18,4 13,1 13,8 14,2 17,4
The bulk of different families subshrubs shoots is on the surface layer of 0-50-cm (up to 89 % of the total phytomass). The low shrubs have shoots mainly concentrated in the layer of 50-100 cm (63-81 %), the high ones have them in the layer of 70-150 cm (54-62 %). Maximum values -of the surface phytomass of shrubs gain are coincided with late summer period, and subshrubs are coincided with the autumn period. The shrubs and subshrubs surface biomass increases to four years of age. Low foliage is observed in the samples of Camphorosma lessingii.
If we compare the different families shrubs surface phytomass productivity we can note the tendency of increasing the surface phytomass and the representatives of the family
Fabaceae - Astragalus transcaspicus, Amorpha californica, Colutea orientalis eaten part proportion (table 2).
Table 2 - Different families shrubs surface phytomass productivity (Volgograd region)
Type Age, years Height, m Bush total weight, кг Eaten mass, %
Ephedra strobilaceae 5 1,0±0,03 1,5±0,05 55,7±1,86
Atraphaxis spinosa 10 0,9±0,03 2,5±0,07 48,1±1,93
Calligonum aphyllum 7 2,3±0,07 8,0±0,32 37,5±1,18
Haloxylon aphyllum 5 2,4±0,08 8,3±0,29 46,4±1,74
Astragalus transcaspicus 7 1,0±0,03 5,0±0,18 65,6±1,89
Lonicera tatarica 15 2,5±0,09 8,9±0,22 42,7±1,23
Amorpha californica 12 1,5±0,04 7,4±0,31 67,3±2,01
Tamarix laxa 8 1,7±0,05 5,2±0,19 49,8±1,98
Cotoneaster lucidus 10 2,5±0,07 5,9±0,18 50,1±1,87
Sorbaria sorbifolia 10 2,5±0,08 8,5±0,19 59,9±2,15
Amygdalus nana 8 1,0±0,02 4,3±0,12 49,5±1,95
Colutea orientalis 10 1,2±0,04 7,0±0,54 54,5±2,34
Spiraea crenata 8 1,5±0,03 4,1±0,15 48,9±1,89
Forestiera neomexicana 14 1,8±0,05 6,4±0,18 49,5±2,11
Table 3 - Different families shrubs fodder dignity
Families Content in 1 kg of dry : odder
Fodder unit protein, % cellulose, % P, г Ca, г
Chenopodiaceae 0,17-0,38 5,5-17,0 27-30 0,9-1,9 5,4-17,6
Tamaricaceae 0,34-0,36 17,7-18,3 40-42 2,3-3,3 8,8-11,5
Compositae 0,21-0,52 7,0-12,3 24-33 0,3-2,5 0,8-7,4
Fabaceae 0,54-0,64 14,0-19,6 16-25 1,7-2,8 9,0-21,6
Ephedraceae 0,35-0,43 10,5-19,0 31-42 1,2-2,5 3,9-8,9
Polygonaceae 0,22-0,34 11,0-13,5 25-34 1,9-2,3 8,0-15,9
Caprifoliaceae 0,32-0,49 9,6-18,4 30-39 2,5-4,5 10,1-15,6
Saxifragaceae 0,25-0,32 8,5-16,0 12-18 3,5-7,7 10,1-14,8
Rhamnaceae 0,22-0,35 9,0-12,5 26-32 1,1-2,4 6,9-14,5
Elaeagnaceae 0,25-0,36 8,1-11,7 23-29 1,0-1,9 5,0-9,5
Oleaceae 0,29-0,35 7,5-19,7 19-25 0,7-1,4 7,1-9,8
Rosaceae 0,36-0,63 15,1-19,2 14-26 2,1-3,3 8,3-24,7
To determine the correct stoking on pastures to maintain their productive longevity it is necessary to assess the fodder quality. Plants fodder value is closely related to their chemical composition, their content of substances necessary for normal functioning of animals. Usually, if the fodder does not contain harmful substances, its value increases with the content of protein therein and the decrease of the fiber. The maximum protein content is observed in spring and summer, it decreases in autumn by 3-5 %. The family Fabaceae and Rosaceae representatives have the best indicators of the chemical composition and nutritive value in comparison with Chenopodiaceae, Tamaricaceae, Compositae (table 3).
Based on the study of adaptation capabilities and fodder dignity the shrubs range was designed for different categories and types of pastures: 67 species are recommended for dry steppe and semi-desert and 48 ones are recommended for desert zones. According to the soil susceptibility to deflation and moisturization conditions these species were classified in each district on categories (forest improvement category - FIC) and types (forest improvement type - FIT) of pastures (table 4).
Table 4 - Adapted shrubs distribution according to the major taxonomic units of arid pastures (by V.I. Petrov)
The number of prospective varieties
Forest improvement category according to forest improvement types
FIT-а FIT-b FIT-c FIT-d
FIC - I: desertified pasture areas with small- and
middle-dune sands and strongly deflated sandy soilsin Chernozemelsky-Pricaspian district 10 10 10 10
FIC - II: pastures on the grown-over and low-grown sandy soils: 46 40 36 25
Chernozemelsky-Pricaspian district 38 35 30 10
Terek-Kuma district
Volga-Urals district 30 27 27 11
FIC - III: pastures on areas with loamy sands susceptible to deflation: 41 38 38 11
Terek-Kuma district 40 32 30 17
Ergeninskiy-Sarpinskiy district Volga-Urals district 40 33 33 12
FIC - IV: areas on loamy and clay soils resistant
to deflation: 37 30 28 15
Kulundinsky district 41 38 38 14
Terek-Kuma district 46 37 37 19
Volga-Urals district Ergeninskiy-Sarpinskiy district 43 38 38 16
For pastures FIC-I in the arid zone of the south-eastern Russia the great importance have many shrubs and sub-shrubs of the families Chenopodiaceae (Camphorosma, Haloxy-lon, Kochia, Salsola) and Polygonaceae (Atrophaxis, Calligonum). These species belong to long vegetative plants with maximum yield in the autumn-winter period. They naturally grow within the Holarctic Kingdom area.
For Chernozemelsky-Pricaspian region pastures (desert zone, brown solonetz-desert solonchak soils, precipitations are 100-150 mm, moistening coefficient is 0.11) on the overgrown and low-grown sands Ila, lib, Ilc allotments the promising varieties are 36-46 species of shrubs and subshrubs. The representatives of the families Ephedraceae, Chenopodiaceae, Polygonaceae are essential for autumn-winter pastures.
For Ergeninsky-Sarpinsky district pastures (semi-desert zone, light brown soils combined with solonetz, precipitations are 240-320 mm, moistening coefficient is 0.11-0.33) the representatives of the family Chenopodiaceae, Polygonaceae, Rosaceae (Crataegus), Olea-ceae (Forestiera) and Fabaceae (Amorpha), which is recommended to grow on the allotments IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, IVa, IVb, IVc. are perspective.
For the Volga-Ural region (semi-desert zone, light brown soil combined with solonets and salt marshes, precipitations are 130-300 mm, moistening coefficient is 0.11-0.33) the representatives of the family Polygonaceae, Rosaceae, Oleaceae and Tamaricaceae (Atraphaxis,
4
Spiraea, Forestiera, Lonicera, Tamarix) are prospective, they in the conditions of agroforest-ry allotments IVa, IVb, IVc have high adaptive capacity, produce significant fodder mass and are eaten by wild hoofed animals and small cattle.
For the Terek-Kuma district (dry steppe zone, brown solonetz soisl, light brown, precipitations are 350 mm, moistening coefficient is 0.33) the promising are shrubs and sub-shrubs of the family Chenopodiaceae, Polygonaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Compositae (Camphorosma, Atraphaxis, Crataegus, Caragana and Artemisia), which are eaten by sheep, goats and wild animals.
For Kulundinsky district (dry steppe zone, dark brown soil, precipitations are 240350 mm, moistening coefficient is 0.33-0.44) varieties of the legume family and Rosaceae (Astragalus, Caragana, Lespedeza, Hedysarum, Spiraea, Sorbaria, Crataegus) are perspective, they have high productivity, good fodder value and eaten readily by all pets.
The most promising for dry conditions are varieties with a wide habitat, which in the new conditions of growth have high adaptive potential, abundant bloom and bear fruit, have good seed production and sowing qualities [7]. In varieties with small ranges the expectation of getting quality introduction material can be at the selection of ripening, frost resistant forms.
The criteria for selecting the range are fundamental for the enrichment of degraded pastures by the economically valuable woody plants, they are determined by the state of the natural resource potential and properties of woody varietiess and are based on the following consepts:
• biological stability (wide area under natural conditions with high ecological plasticity: droughty, salinity, frost resistance);
• phytocoenotic stability in the culture (compatibility with native varieties, high reproductive capacity, enough good germination, phytocenoses longevity, opportunity of mechanized plants care);
• zootechnical suitability (high yield, fodder and medicinal value, good palatability and nutritional value, resistance to grazing, lack of harmful substances for animals);
• environment stabilizing ability (landscape forming, soil-protective, soil-improving).
Reference list
1. Petrov, V.I. The concept of adaptive forest agricultural nature management in the arid zone (for example, the Russian Pricaspian) [Text] / V.I. Petrov, N.S. Zyuz. - Volgograd, 1996. - 32 p.
2. Kulik, K.N. Ecological experimental introduction of economically valuable plants for agro-forestry [Text] / K.N. Kulik, I.P. Svintsov, A.V. Semenyutina // Reports of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. - 2004. - № 3. - P. 19-24.
3. Kulik, K.N. Enrichment of agroforestry systems by introduction resources [Text] / K.N. Kulik, A.V. Semenyutina // Bulletin of Nizhnevolzhsky agrouniversity complex: science and higher vocational education. - 2008. - № 1. - P. 3-11.
4. Dendroflora of agroforestry systems [Text] / A.V. Semenyutina: monograph edited by I.P. Svintsov. - Volgograd All-Russian scientific research institute of agrosivilculture, 2013. - 266 p.
5. Kulik, K.N. Fodder value of brushes and sub-shrubs perspective to enrich degraded pastures [Text] / K.N. Kulik, A.V. Semenyutina, D.K. Kulik // Alternative, new and forgotten species: scientific and practical aspects of culture: Intern. scientific-practical. conf., National bot. Gardens named after N.N. Grishko, 10-12 September 2013, Kiev. - P. 277-280.
6. Semenyutina, A.V. Prospective bushes of the family Fabaceae for forest reclamation of arid grassland regions of Russia [Text] / A.V. Semenyutina, D.K. Kulik // Actual problems of biodiversity conservation and forest management: Proceedings of the international scientific-practical. conf., dedicated. Related to the 55th anniversary of Kazakh scientific research institute of forestry. - Shchuchinsk
2012. - P. 211-213.
7. Bioecological justification assortment of shrubs for landscaping urban landscapes [Text] / A.V. Semenyutina, S.M. Kostyukov. - Accent graphics communications. - Montreal, QC, Canada,
2013. - 164 p.
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