The land reform of the 1990s created certain economic and environmental prerequisites for efficient land use. However, they are not implemented due to the complete liberalization of the market and the disengagement of the State from land management, the termination of state land administration. Adjustment of the economic course and strategic planning are considered as the initial condition for land use rationalization and further transformations. As a planning tool, it is proposed to implement regional models of agro-industrial production in development of previously used agricultural management systems based on the development of regional GIS for agroecological land assessment and projecting of adaptive landscape farming systems in M 1 : 100 000. For this purpose, a system of integrated land assessment has been developed, and the experience of land administration projecting, landscape planning, and projecting of adaptive landscape farming systems has been generalized. On the basis of its integration, it is planned to develop new land administration on a landscape basis, and, subsequently, agricultural landscapes projecting.

Today the rate of anthropogenic transformations of the soil cover significantly exceeds the rate of its natural restoration. According to a modern digital soil map at a scale of 1 : 200,000 in the Leningrad Region anthropogenically modified subtypes of natural soils, which were formed as a result of human economic activity, predominate. The article considers anthropogenic changes in soils and soil cover of the territory of the high-voltage power line. The study area of 100×500 meters is located in the Tikhvinsky district between the settlements of Kalivets and Novaya Ust-Kapsha. The landscape of the territory belongs to the lake-glacial plain, the soil-forming rocks are lake-glacial sands and sandy loam. Natural soils that are not affected by technological works are found only in the forest, outside the clearing laid during the construction of the power line. These are Albic Podzol, Entic Podzol, Histic Albic Podzol, Histic Entic Podzol and Histic Gleysol. It was revealed that in the study area, the horizons of the original natural soils are partially or completely cut off, turbated, compacted, which led to the formation of their anthropogenically transformed subtypes: over-compacted, abraded, turbid and stratified. Sometimes soil material is exposed to the surface and moved over the study area by tens of meters. After the construction of the high-voltage line, new formations appeared in the soil cover, such as Podzol Nudispodic, buried soils and several types of non-soil formations. It is revealed that each technological operation (logging, installation of power transmission line supports, organization of places for technological operations and the creation of temporary roads) is characterized by its own special disturbances in the soil cover. Thus, after the construction of the power line, there were no natural soils with an undisturbed structure in the soil cover. In addition to the fundamental transformation of the soil cover at the site, natural vegetation was reduced, the mesorelief was partially disrupted and the microrelief was almost completely changed. All these anthropogenic transformations will affect the quality of the ecological functions of the soil cover. During the further operation of power transmission lines, such as clearing a cut-out clearing, updating fire-prevention mineralized strips, maintaining the power grid, disturbances of the soil cover will be periodically repeated, preventing the ecosystem from returning to its original state. 

The article presents the results of a field experiment to assess the effect of pre-sowing application of the biochar on the thermal properties of the arable horizon of soddy-podzolic sandy loam soil, on the energy balance components, on the crop surface temperature and on the leaves temperature of spring wheat (variety “Daria”) under various conditions of soil moisture in 2022. The experiment took place at the Menkovo Experimental Station of the Agrophysical Research Institute, located in the Gatchinsky District of the Leningrad Region. The experiment included the plot with the biochar application at the dose of 21.9 t ha^-1 and the control plot. The soil thermal properties were measured by the heat pulse method. The components of the energy balance were determined using agrometeorological measurements, radiation balance measurements, crop surface temperature, and phenological measurements. The crop surface temperature was measured by a non-contact method using pyrometers. The soil moisture conditions and available water for wheat were characterized by volumetric soil moisture and evapotranspiration. The volumetric soil moisture was measured using a capacitive soil moisture sensor. The evapotranspiration was determined using the residual term of the energy balance equation through the latent heat flux. According to the results of field experiments, a significant effect (p < 0.05) of the biochar application on the soil thermal properties was found, however, under different moisture conditions, the effect was multidirectional. At zero soil moisture, the biochar application reduced thermal conductivity by 29.7%, reduced volumetric heat capacity by 18.5%, reduced diffusivity by 13.7%, and reduced thermal inertia by 24.3%. Under the conditions of field capacity, the biochar application increased thermal conductivity by 9.4%, reduced volumetric heat capacity
by 2.6%, increased diffusivity by 12.3%, and increased thermal inertia by 3.2%. The biochar application significantly (p < 0.05) increased the turbulent heat flux – by 35.5%, which is due to an increase in the crop surface temperature (by 6.4%). Resulting from the decrease in soil evaporation, the biochar application reduced the latent heat flux by 17.0%, and the evapotranspiration by 13.9%. Leaf temperature is related to transpiration. Transpiration can increase when biochar is applied on light-textured soils due to an increase in soil water capacity. The biochar application did not result in significant changes of leaf temperature. The study results are confirmed by numerous articles of both foreign and Russian researchers.

The aim of the work was to assess the ecological resistance of topsoils of Chernozem and Luvisol to modeled copper contamination. To determine the sorption capacity of soils and to obtain the required levels of contamination the experiment was carried out. Soils were contaminated by the Cu acetate solutions with concentrations from 20 to 200 mg/L, which corresponds to the input of 20–2 000 mg/kg of Cu. Approximation of Cu adsorption isotherms by the Langmuir equation was statistically significant. The obtained values of maximum adsorption (C_max) and Langmuir constant (K_L) for Chernozem were higher than for Luvisol. This indicates a higher adsorption capacity and stronger retention of adsorbed Cu in Chernozem compared with Luvisol. This fact can be explained by the higher content and composition of organic matter, the heavier texture and the neutral pH value of Chernozem. By the method of sequential selective extractions, it was found that in uncontaminated soils, more than 50% of Cu is strongly bounded to silicate fraction (>50%). Assessment of Cu fractionation at different levels of contamination reveals a slight increase in the percentage of Cu bioavailable forms (exchangeable and acid-soluble) in Chernozem at 200 mg/kg and its significant increase in Luvisol at 200 mg/kg. At contamination of about 2 000 mg/kg Cu, both soils are characterised by a predominance of pools of bioavailable and bound to (hydr)oxide of Fe and Mn forms. The mobility factor does not exceed 10% for Chernozem and 25% for Luvisol in the native and contaminated by 200 mg/kg soils, which indicates low and medium bioavailability of Cu in them, respectively. Contamination by 2 000 mg/kg of Cu increased the mobility factor up to 25% in Chernozem and up to 40% in Luvisol, which means the medium and high risk of Cu migration into the adjacent environments.

The pollution of soil by heavy metals becomes a prime ecological problem. Recultivation of polluted soil objects is usually made by means of different types of sorbents. So, in this connection the search for the most effective and multifunctional sorbing agent is relevant. The model experiment of soil pollution by several heavy metals in upper soil horizon was carried out. The soil for that research was Grey-Luvic Phaeozems. Lead (Pb²⁺) and copper (Cu²⁺) were chosen as pollutants. Solutions of lead acetate (Pb(CH₃COO)₂·3H₂O) and copper sulphate (CuSO₄·7Н₂O) of three different concentrations (1 MPC, 5 MPC, 10 MPC) were used as pollutants. Solutions of organosilicon adsorbent – 1,1,3,3,3-tetrahydroxy-1,3-dimethyldisiloxane polyhydrate (PMSPG) were also applied in three different variants: 0.01%; 0.1%; 1%. The mobile forms of heavy metals were researched by method of atomic absorption spectrometry. The mobile forms of heavy metals were extracted by the ammonium acetate buffer (pH = 4.8). According to results, the application of organosilicon sorbent had a positive issue. Application of adsorbent significantly reduced the concentrations of mobile heavy metal compounds. The application of PMSPG solution with concentration of 1% was the most effective. A vegetation experiment was carried out. Cress (Lepidium sativum L.) of “Zabava” variety was used as a test-crop. Favourable changes in the growth of cress with the use of adsorbent at the concentration of 1% compared to the control variants were revealed.

Despite the significant expansion of the geography of soil microorganisms studies in various, including extreme natural environments, research on the biodiversity and metabolic activity of soil microbial communities under conditions of moisture deficiency are few. Biodiversity of culturable bacteria isolated from the surface horizon of the Negev desert soil (Aridic Calcisol) after pre-incubation of soil samples under the conditions of low water availability has been studied. An increase in the diversity of culturable bacteria after pre-incubation was revealed in comparison with the community isolated from the native soil. From the native and pre-incubated samples, 153 phenotypically unique pure cultures of bacteria from 22 genera belonging to the phyla Actinomycetota, Pseudomonadota, Bacillota, and Bacteroidota were isolated and identified. The taxonomic diversity of culturable bacteria isolated from the sample pre-incubated at a water activity (Aw) of 0.90 was two times higher than that obtained from the native soil. The strain of the genus Pedobacter has been identified, which may be a representative of a previously undescribed bacterial species. Bacteria of the genera Aerococcus, Bacillus, Brevibacterium, Staphylococcus, and Stenotrophomonas capable of growing at Aw 0.91 were found. One strain of the genus Microlunatus has been identified that is capable of growing on a nitrogen-free medium, exhibiting amylase and protease activity, and capable to growth on a medium with Aw down to 0.96. The obtained results confirm the hypothesis that arid ecosystems, in particular, desert soils and sediments, are a depository of a previously unexplored taxonomic diversity of bacteria with unique physiological properties that are promising for study and potential implementation in biotechnological processes.

The selection of rootstocks is one of the first and most important stages in the establishment of grape plantations under grafted conditions, which determines the productivity of rootstock-scion combinations and the further chain of design solutions: spatial placement of rows on the land plot, accompanying the production process of agronomic and agrochemical methods. Given the high importance of terroir factors for viticulture and winemaking, we were aware of the need to consider them in detail at this design stage. The aim was to create an algorithm for selecting varieties based on local terroir factors and apply it to the design of vineyards. Based on the analysis of literary sources and the agronomic experience of viticulture and winemaking specialists, we have identified key stress factors that in general, should be taken into account when selecting varieties of rootstocks. Based on the results of a comprehensive study of terroir and analytical diagnostics of soil samples taken on a land plot located in the Bakhchisaray district of the Republic of Crimea, local stress factors representing risks were clarified and prioritized neo-medially at the site of testing the landscape-adapted approach to the selection of rootstocks: carbonate condition, risk of phylloxera infestation, high content of fine fractions in granulometric composition, short-term droughts, risk of local overwatering, phosphorus deficiency. In total 20 the most common commercial varieties of rootstocks were considered for each selected soil area. The sample reduction scenario, based on the prioritization of the above stressors, reduced the number of varieties considered to three variants: 1103 Paulsen, 140 Ruggeri, and Fercal, which were scored against each other and considering the local terroir conditions of the plot, for further comparison in terms of market and logistics in making the final design decision.