Research of soils in the Republic of Moldova for the qualitative development of sea buckthorn

Abstract

Sea buckthorn cultivation in the Republic of Moldova represents a young but profitable branch with development perspectives due to the nutritional value of the products, to the protection qualities of eroded soils and to the accumulation of biosynthesized nitrogen in the soil by the plant root system. The current sea buckthorn plantations in the Republic of Moldova occupy a very wide spectrum of soils and their textural varieties, from typical chernozems in Balti steppe (Sangerei district - Dobrogea Veche), to the gray and brown forest soils in the Central Moldavian Plateau - Codrilor Plateau (Orhei district - Putintei and Clisova, Calarasi district - Leordoaia) and the carbonate chernozems of the terraces of the Dniester river (Dubasari district - Pohrebea). The morphological description and the physical-chemical analysis allowed to highlight some ecological factors determining the productivity of the sea buckthorn plantations: degree of compaction, porosity, structure, moisture, effervescence - for several types and subtypes of soil, textural varieties, complexity of the soil cover, slope exposure and others. It was shown that typical chernozem and light gray soil have more favorable agro-physical conditions for sea buckthorn cultivation, compared to the brown soils and typical gray forest soils, heavy by texture. The high loam content, especially in the drought periods of the year, causes the processes of swelling-contraction. Disorders in the optimal development of plantations - insufficient development or total drying can occur as a result of exceeding soil moisture above the field capacity limit for water or below the wilting coefficient of the plant. In order to optimize the moisture regime depending on the soil texture and type, it is recommended to irrigate the sea buckthorn plantations established on chernozems. Gray and brown forest soils are not suitable for drip irrigation. In some periods, depending on the climatic conditions, there may be a need to optimize soil moisture.