Vol 10, No 4 (2025)

The purpose of the study is a comparative assessment of the carbon (C) balance under zero and traditional chernozem treatments in the agro-ecosystems of the forest-steppe and steppe zones of the European territory of Russia (Samara Region and Krasnodar Territory). The balance from agricultural prices was assessed using the NEP indicator – pure ecosystem products, taking into account pure primary products and soil CO₂ emissions. As a result of the study, experimental NEP data for the growing season (May-October 2024) and forecast estimates using the DNDC model for the period 2023-2100 under various climate change scenarios were obtained. On the territory of agricultural farms in the studied regions, 2 production fields with zero and traditional soil treatments were selected. In each agrocenosis, measurements of soil CO2 emissions were carried out at 10 spatially remote points using the closed chamber method during the growing season. Before harvesting, the above-ground and root biomass of agricultural crops was selected at the study points. Experimental data have shown that the NEP values when using zero treatment either tend to zero (Samara Region) or indicate a 3.4-fold increase in C runoff in the agroecosystem (Krasnodar Territory) compared with the traditional approach. Based on the forecast estimates, it was revealed that the balance of C is largely determined by the type of crop being cultivated. Regardless of the type of tillage, the agrocenosis of the subsurface will be a source of CO2, not a sink of C. The most favorable conditions for increasing the flow of C (by 11-25%) are in the agroecological systems of the Samara region. They are expected when cultivating spring wheat and soybeans in combination with zero tillage due to a decrease (by 4-7%) in soil microbial respiration compared to plowing. In the agro-cenoses of the Krasnodar Territory, cucumbers cultivation together with zero treatment is most effective for increasing C runoff as a result of an increase in net primary production (by 28-31%) and a decrease in soil microbial respiration (by 15-17%).

The results of the effect of manure and the growth-stimulating fertilizer Aminokat on the yield and content of protein, fat, fiber, dry matter, and ash in the green mass of plants in the phases of budding and bean formation, as well as in soybean grain, are presented. The effect of manure and Aminokat on the studied indicators was positive. The content of protein and fat in the green mass of plants was higher than in the case of manure, with an increase of 1.6% and up to 1.5 times when exposed to Aminokat. The effect of the studied fertilizers on the content of fiber was equal – up to 7%. The effect of manure on the content of dry matter was greater by 14% compared to Aminokat, and the effect on the content of ash was less – up to 30%. A comparative analysis of the values obtained in the physiological phases showed that the protein and fat content was higher by 12.5-11.0% in the legume formation phase, the fiber content was slightly higher by 0.3%, and the dry matter and ash content decreased by 2.9% and 7.0%, respectively. The grain yield and fat content were higher when the growth-stimulating, organic-mineral fertilizer Aminokat was applied at a concentration of 14.1% and 9.4%, respectively, compared to the control, and 4.5% and 2.6%, respectively, compared to manure. The content of protein, fiber, and ash in soybean grain was affected more by manure than by the non-fertilized background, by 5.4; 16.3, and 9.0%, and by Aminokat, by 0.9; 1.5, and 0.6%, respectively. In the arid conditions of the Middle Volga region, the most effective way to grow soybeans is to use cultivation technologies that are adapted to the region's conditions and involve the use of organic, growth-stimulating, and organomineral fertilizers.

The objective of this research is to optimize the phytometric parameters of winter and spring wheat crops through the use of liquid complex fertilizers and a growth regulator in the Orenburg Pre-Urals region. The use of organomineral fertilizers and a growth regulator in winter and spring wheat crops at the tillering stage improves photosynthetic activity, resulting in an increase in the area of the assimilation apparatus, the efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus, and the dry biomass yield. Photosynthetic activity in an agrocenosis, as a key component of production processes, is the most informative criterion for assessing yield formation under various environmental conditions and technological impacts on plants. Therefore, the research topic is relevant. The objects of the study were winter and spring wheat. Field surveys and observations were conducted using generally accepted methods. For winter wheat, the most effective fertilizer is the liquid nitrogen fertilizer Carb-N-Humic, which results in dry matter accumulation of 7.94 t/ha and a Kfar of 1.37%. For spring wheat, the best results are achieved with the chelated organomineral fertilizer Energoshans, which provides dry matter accumulation of 2.94 t/ha and a Kfar of 0.77%.

This article examines the photosynthetic activity of corn crops during silage cultivation in the Middle Volga region. Three-year data on the influence of feeding background and foliar feeding schemes on leaf area and foliar photosynthetic potential of corn are presented. The influence of single-component and multi-component tank mixtures on the photosynthetic parameters of corn crops was studied. An optimal scheme of foliar fertilization with microelements of fertilizers and growth stimulants on the productivity of corn has been experimentally established. The paper presents the results of various schemes of foliar fertilization on different nutrition backgrounds. The study of photosynthetic activity of corn crops was carried out on an experimental plot of KyrlayAgrofirma LLC in the Arsky District of the Republic of Tatarstan. The studies have shown that crops of the ROSS 199 MV hybrid corn form a photosynthetic potential of up to 3.306 million m²/ha days with complex treatment with a four-component (Batr + Organit P + Organit N + Biodukc) tank mixture. The application of mineral fertilizers to the planned yield of 35.0 t/ha of green mass increases all parameters of photosynthetic activity of corn crops: the leaf surface area increased by 33.9% on average over 3 years; photosynthetic potential – by 57.7%. It was found that the use of a four-component (Batr + Organit R + Organit N + Biodukx) tank mixture on a fertilized background increased the yield on average over three years by 6.8 t/ha or 21.2% compared to the control.

Saba LLC of the Sabinsky Municipal District of the Republic of Tatarstan has been conducting experiments with crop rotations and monocultures since 2016. The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of crop rotation and repeated sowing on the level of yields and soil fertility. The soil where experiments with crop rotations were conducted is light gray forest with a humus content of 2.14-2.26% according to Tyurin, P2O5 – 100-104 mg/kg, K2O – 110-114 mg/kg soil (according to Kirsanov), pH 5.2 - 5.4. Alternations were studied in crop rotation: 1) some grain crops of continuous sowing (barley, rye, spring wheat); 2) cereals and legumes (peas); 3) cereals and row crops (corn for silage); 4) the same crops with pure steam; 5) cereals and row crops with pure steam and perennial grasses. In parallel, permanent steam, monocultures of winter rye, spring wheat, peas, barley, corn and alfalfa were studied. The experiments were conducted without fertilizers and against the background of a fertilizer system consisting of 40 tons of manure applied once every four years, and N60P70K60 in the remaining years. The average yield of four grain crops (winter rye, spring wheat, peas and barley) as a result of continuous cultivation for seven years decreased by 0.52 t on a fertilized background, and by 0.39 t/ha without fertilizers compared to the yields of these crops in crop rotations. In total, over 6 years, the largest amount of grain was harvested in the steam-grain crop rotation (12.40 tons), in second place – leguminous-steam (10.88 tons) and in third – leguminous (10.56 tons). The inclusion of corn in the crop rotation provided higher harvests (20, 27, 20, 91 and 22.57 tons) of fodder units per hectare on both fertilized and non–fertilized backgrounds - 11, 66, 23, 35 and 14.45 tons (var. 3, 4, 6). The lowest yield of fodder units obtained in the grain crop rotation (var. 1) – 7.94-13.28 t/ha.

The purpose of the research is the introduction of creeping anchors in the conditions of the Middle Volga forest–steppe. The paper presents the results of an introduction to culture and a comprehensive study of creeping anchors. In 2021-2024, an experiment on the study of the medicinal plant Tribulus terrestris L.was established on the territory of the collection nursery of the Sredne-Volzhsky branch of the VILAR State Medical University. In the Russian Federation, only one species is used in scientific medicine - Tribulus terrestris L. The raw material for the production of medicines in pharmacology is the herb Tribuli terrestris herba. Today, the raw material base of creeping anchors is replenished by wild plants and therefore its introduction becomes relevant to enrich the assortment of valuable medicinal herbs and thus provide raw materials through crops introduced into the culture of Tribulus terrestris L. During the study, the shortest growing season (71 days) was recorded in 2024. The process of flowering and fruit formation continues until the frost. This process was observed in 2023 during the longest growing season, which lasted for 132 days. Due to the biological peculiarity of creeping anchors, an important indicator in the study of productivity is the number of branches of the first order formed on one plant, which was the maximum (12.5 pcs.) in 2022 in the "Chinese" population, with a minimum diameter of the rosette (188.0 cm). This indicator was minimal in 2023 for the Chinese population (7.5 pcs.), with the latest sowing period for all the years of research, the diameter of the rosette was 191.0 cm.

The purpose of the research is to provide a theoretical basis for improving the efficiency of the thermovacuum system of the plant raw material extrusion unit. An innovative approach to upgrading the equipment used for thermoplastic processing of plant raw materials involves applying reduced pressure to the raw material as it exits the machine's die. This technology significantly alters the formation of the capillary-porous structure of the extrudates, as well as the intensity and depth of their dehydration, thereby addressing the inherent limitations of classical single-screw extrusion. The extrusion technology, known as thermovacuum extrusion, reduces energy consumption by lowering the temperature of the extruder process and partially regenerating the heat energy during the process. Based on modern ideas about the disadvantages and possible ways to improve single-screw extruders, a unit for energy-efficient thermovacuum processing of plant raw materials has been proposed. Its design and technological scheme include technical solutions that allow solving problems related to the processing of plant raw materials with high moisture content by pre-reducing the moisture content of the processed raw materials, as well as regulating the intensity of dehydration of the finished product. The article also discusses the conditions for regenerating the heat used in the machine's working process and improving the energy efficiency of the unit as a whole. The conducted research made it possible to obtain analytical expressions, with the help of which it is possible to determine the air flow rate, admitted into the chambers of the preliminary and final processing of raw materials of the unit and to determine the parameters of the system, providing the thermovacuum effect of the extrusion process. The results obtained can be useful and taken into account in the process of subsequent theoretical studies of thermovacuum extruders and will allow, on their basis, to increase the efficiency of machines, carrying out the extrusion of plant raw materials for fodder and food purposes.

The article presents a theoretical study of the proposed design of a slat-wave roller, developed on the basis of a standard slat roller, which is a component of the Twist-8 cultivator, to improve the efficiency of pre-sowing soil cultivation by a combined unit. A detailed analysis of the technical characteristics and design features of the roller, including new technical elements made in the form of perforated grooves located between the slats, parallel to the roller axis, is carried out. Mathematical models and a theoretical justification for the main geometric and power parameters of the roller, affecting the quality of soil cultivation, are presented. Based on the calculations, optimal values for the design parameters were established: the roller radius can vary from 0.175 m to 0.3 m, the minimum number of ribs should be at least 8, the number of holes in one gutter - not less than 26, but no more than 32. The distances between the gutters and their shape were also justified. An analysis of the interaction between the roller's working surfaces and the soil was conducted, determining the conditions for the effective breakdown of soil clods and uniform compaction of the surface layer. Comparative studies demonstrated a 37% increase in the efficiency of the proposed slat-wave roller compared to the standard slat roller of the Twist-8 cultivator, as evidenced by an increase in the compaction quality factor from 0.686 to 0.94. The proposed slat-wave roller design ensures soil structure and density in accordance with agricultural requirements with minimal energy and resource consumption, preventing soil compaction at the seed placement depth, guaranteeing a minimum number of soil clods larger than 50 mm, and a leveled field surface.

The purpose of the research is to increase the meat productivity of young cattle and the efficiency of beef production by interbreeding cows of combined productivity with bulls of specialized meat breeds. The work presents the results of breeding crossbred young animals obtained from mating Simmental cows with producers of Hereford and Belgian blue breeds in comparison with purebred young Simmental breeds. The results of productivity and feed costs for obtaining gains in young animals during the growing period from birth to the age of 18 months are given. The mixed-breed young animals showed a noticeable effect of heterocyst in fattening qualities. It was found that the crossing of the Simmental breed of combined productivity with meat breeds makes it possible to increase the live weight of young animals at the age of 18 months by 9.8 and 3.5%, respectively, to Belgian blue and Hereford crossbreeds. In terms of average daily growth, crossbred bulls outperformed their purebred peers by 11.1% and 4.4%, respectively, according to the indicated genotypes. The daily productivity of heifers was higher in crossbreed animals by 11.3% and 4.4%, respectively. Feed costs per unit of production decreased by 18.8% in Simmental × Belgian blue crossbreeds, and by 6.6% in heifers of this genotype, and by 4.1% and 4.3% in Hereford crossbreeds, respectively.

The purpose of this study is to improve therapeutic and preventive measures for rickets in young cattle. As part of the goal, the task was to evaluate the effect of the protein-mineral supplement rachipred on hematological parameters in young cattle rickets. Calves with rickets at the age of one month were divided into experimental and control groups (n=10). Calves of the first group (control group) received feed from the main diet, rickets were treated using household methods; animals of the second group (the experimental group) received a supplement of rachipred with a combination of protein and mineral components in the formulation for a general diet and systematic fortification. The experiment lasted for two months. At the beginning, middle and end of the study, blood was taken, followed by an assessment of its morphofunctional parameters. As a result of the use of the complex protein-mineral supplement rachipred, the antianemic effect of the test agent was established, expressed by an increase in the number of red blood cells by 35.5% (P<0.01), hematocrit value by 12.3% (P<0.05), hemoglobin level by 23.3 (P<0.001) – 13.5% (P<0.01), the average volume of red blood cells was 20.4% (P<0.001), the average hemoglobin content in the red blood cell was 10.7% (P<0.05), while a decrease in the width of the distribution of red blood cells was recorded by 10.3% (P<0.01).