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Today, energy crops that are undemanding to soil fertility are increasingly used for the production of biofuel, electricity, and heat. Favorable climate, large areas of agricultural lands of Ukraine create the necessary conditions for growing the most popular energy crops, which will be able to supply the domestic market, as well as export. The article is aimed at studying the accumulation of chemical elements phosphorus (P), potassium (K), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) in the vegetative mass of Miscanthus, Silphium perfoliatum L. and Sida hermaphrodita L. Rusby for their cultivation in the conditions of the Western Forest Steppe of Ukraine on gray forest soils. The article presents the results of own field and laboratory research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soils of agricultural lands of Ukraine have different features of use for growing agricultural crops. In particular, under the conditions of homesteads in urbanized areas, the use of soils is observed mainly for monoculture (extensive agriculture). Usually, such soils are used primarily for the cultivation of potatoes and a small amount of vegetable crops: beets, cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, parsley, dill, etc. Organic fertilizers and a small amount of mineral fertilizers are used to fertilize the soils of homestead plots. Polycultures (intensive agriculture) such as: sunflower, winter rapeseed, winter wheat, corn, barley, sugar beet, peas, etc. are grown under the conditions of field crop rotation. With the creation of conditions for obtaining the maximum yield, mainly mineral fertilizers and a small amount of organic fertilizers are used. That is, these features of soil use can be reflected to one degree or another in the level of accumulation of heavy metals and trace elements in them. The content of heavy metals and trace elements in black soil typical medium loamy, sod-podzolic sandy loamy and gray medium loamy soils were investigated for their use in homestead plots and field crop rotation for growing various agricultural crops. A higher content of mercury, lead, cadmium, zinc and copper was found in black soil typical medium loamy, gray forest medium loamy and sod-podzolic sandy loamy soils under the conditions of homesteads compared to the soils of field crop rotations. The highest difference in the content of Pb, Hg, Cd, Zn, and Cu in the soils of homestead plots and field crop rotations was found in sod-podzolic sandy soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among a number of climate-related factors, moisture has the greatest impact on crop productivity. In recent years, certain changes have been observed under conditions of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine with regard to precipitation - from low to in some cases - abnormally high, which requires the study of their impact on the yield and safety of cereal grain for its forecasted production. The article examined the effect of a high level of soil moisture (256.2-272.5 mm) and a low level (47.4-52.3 mm) during the growing season (germination-earing) of spring barley grain on the accumulation of heavy metals in it and its productivity under the conditions of gray forest soils of the Right Bank Forest Steppe of Ukraine. Spring barley varieties Helios and Caesar were selected for the research. A decrease in the accumulation coefficient at a high level of soil moisture (256.6-272.5 mm) in spring barley grain Pb from 8.3% to 11.3%, Cd - from 35.0% to 35.5%, Zn was established - by 15% and Cu - from 11.2% to 16.6% compared to the low level of soil moisture (47.1 mm - 53.3 mm). At the same time, it was found that with a high level of soil moisture, there is a decrease in the yield of Helios and Caesar spring barley by 18.0% and 14.1%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The man-made activity of mankind has led to the emergence of many global problems and caused the deterioration of the quality of the natural environment (air, water, soil). Of particular concern is the contamination of agricultural land with toxicants, in particular, radionuclides, which, entering the soil – plant – human body food chain, can reach toxic levels. Therefore, an important task is the removal of hazardous substances from the soil. Phytoremediation can be one of the effective methods for reducing its pollution. The article examines the effectiveness of phytoremediation of soils contaminated as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in certain territories of Polissia of Ukraine (Korosten district of Zhytomyr region). Nectar-pollinating plants were selected for the research, which was carried out for two years: great globe-thistle (Echinops sphaerocephalus), milk thistle (Silybum marianum), and white melilot (Melilotus albus). The results of the research showed that in the dry vegetative mass of milk thistle, great globe-thistle, and white melilot, the specific activity of 137Cs over the two years of research was in the range from 30.8 Bq/kg to 238.5 Bq/kg, the accumulation coefficient – from 0.135 to 0.985, and the hazard coefficient – from 0.055 to 0.395. The highest indicators of specific activity and accumulation coefficient of 137Cs were observed in the vegetative mass of the white melilot, which amounted to 238.5 Bq/kg and 0.96, respectively, comparatively lower values – 2.3 times and 2.3 times were found in the vegetative mass of milk thistle, 2.8 times and 7.1 times – in the vegetative mass of the great globe-thistle. At this level of accumulation of 137Cs in the vegetative mass of nectarine plants from the soil, on average, over two years of research, 1130550 Bq of this radionuclide was removed from the soil per hectare of agricultural land with milk thistle, 621250 Bq with great globe-thistle, and 2851650 Bq with white melilot. The removal of 137Cs with the vegetative mass of nectarine plants reduced the content of this radionuclide in the soil per 1 kg – from 3.4% to 8% on average over two years of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]