The state and trends of land use development in Krasnoarmeysky district of the Krasnodar territory

The article analyzes the state and trends in the development of land use in the rice-growing zone of Kuban. The lands of Krasnoarmeysky district were chosen as the object of study, since it is the main rice growing area in Krasnodar region. It has been established that rice production makes significant influence to the nature, as it changes and transforms the environment, and especially land resources. An analysis of indicators characterizing the state of the lands in Krasnoarmeysky district was carried out, and a forecast for each of these indicators was calculated here as well. The results of this forecast until 2035 indicate a gradual decrease of agricultural lands (and arable lands) in the area, that can lead to reduction of the resource potential of agricultural production. The dynamics of indicators of the sown area, gross harvest and yield of rice in Krasnoarmeysky region are considered by the authors. It was found that rice production is growing steadily, however, an analysis of changes in the area under crops and the gross yield of rice indicates the insufficient efficiency of the existing technology for cultivating this crop, based on the intensive use of mineral fertilizers. Forecasting shows huge increase of used mineral fertilizers, accompanied by a reduction of organic substances in the soil and deterioration of the environmental situation. In order to ensure the environmental sustainability of Krasnoarmeysky district, the new ecosystem approach to land use in the rice-growing zone has been proposed, including a set of environmental and resource-saving measures. As a result of the proposed measures, the structure of land use, crop rotation patterns and production technology have to be changed, use environmentally friendly directions, and preserve and improve the conditions of land resources.