Russia may have a soil fertility improvement program by the end of the year

A soil fertility improvement program in Russia may be adopted by the end of the year. It will become part of the Land state program. Minister of Agriculture Oksana Lut said this at the plenary session of the Golden Autumn exhibition. The Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute plays the leading role in developing the program.

By 2035, the share of land with optimal acidity and optimal phosphorus and potassium content is to grow by 4%. According to the minister, the figure looks small, but “soil restoration is one of the most complex processes in biology.” By the same date, the area under soil-protective agricultural technologies is planned to expand from 5 to 25 million ha.

Lut believes that soils in Russia are generally of good quality: 72% of land has a normal humus level. In EU countries, land with an acceptable humus content accounts for 45%.

The program was initiated on the instructions of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. It includes monitoring the fertility of agricultural land, agroforestry and agrophytomelioration work, scientific research, the creation of artificial soils and the restoration of state protective forest belts. The Land state program was launched in 2022 and is designed for 10 years. During this period, 13.2 million ha are planned to be returned to use. By the end of 2025, more than 3 million ha had been brought into use, while the country has more than 40 million ha of unused agricultural land.