The state of the soil cover and phytomelioration of pastures in the regions of the Eastern Ciscaucasia

Introduction. The arid zone of the Eastern Ciscaucasia, and specifically the extremely arid and arid areas of the Stavropol Territory, with low-fertile pasture soil cover, are subject to degradation associated with both soil and climatic conditions and anthropogenic technological load on the soil. Materials and methods. The manifestation and areas occupied by soil degradation factors (the presence of salt marshes, salt marshes, erosion and deflation) in each of the districts are different, therefore, for a comprehensive assessment of the level of degradation in a particular area, calculations of the generalized indicator of degradation of the soil cover of pastures are carried out. Results and discussion. Based on a systematic analysis, with an assessment of the desirability and weight of each of the degradation factors, it was found that the soil cover of the pastures of the Kursk region is subject to a moderate level of degradation (Dp=0.95), Ipatovsky district with Dp=0.90 – increased, and Apanasenkovsky Turkmen, Arzgir, Levokumsky, Neftekumsky districts – a high level of degradation with Dp=0.822–0.828. Сonclusion. In an area with a moderate level of degradation of the pasture soil cover, a superficial improvement of the natural herbage is proposed with the addition of perennial grasses to it: Medicagovaria, Melilotusofficinalis, Melilotus album, Agropyron fragile, Kochiaarenaria. With an increased and high level of degradation of pasture soils, it is advisable to radically improve with the use of legume-cereal grass mixtures from Medicagofalcata, Medicagovaria, Onobrychisarenaria, Agropyron fragile, Elytrigiaintermedia, Bromopsisinermis, Kochiaarenaria. On saline soils, it is also effective to use both Medicago falcate and Medicagovaria and Agropyrondesertorum, Agropyroncristatum, Elytrigiaintermedia, Bromopsisinermis, Kochiaarenaria, Bassiaprostrata, Melilotusofficinalis, Melilotus album, Festucavalesiaca, Leymusracemosus. Suggestions for practical application and direction of future research. The developed map-scheme of degradation of the soil cover of pastures of the Stavropol Territory districts, indicating the numerical values of the complex indicator Dp, allows you to make certain technological decisions on carrying out a complex of phyto-meliorative measures on pastures specifically for each district of the Eastern Caucasus.