Agriculture of the North Caucasus

Last updated: June 19, 2025

The agricultural regions of the North Caucasus include:

Krasnodar Krai;
Stavropol Krai;
Rostov Oblast;
Dagestan;
Kabardino-Balkaria;
North Ossetia;
Chechnya;
Ingushetia.

In general, agricultural land accounts for 20 million ha, of which more than 16 million ha are arable land.

Natural and climatic conditions

Climate

In the forest-steppe part of the North Caucasus and in the foothill regions, the average annual precipitation is 800 mm. In the zone of unstable moisture, the annual precipitation sum is 450-600 mm; it includes the Stavropol Upland, the plain regions of Krasnodar Krai, Chechnya, Kabardino-Balkaria, Ingushetia, and North Ossetia.

The arid steppe zone with precipitation of 300-450 mm per year occupies most of Rostov Oblast and the northern regions of Stavropol and Krasnodar Krais.

In the dry-steppe subzone, the average annual precipitation is 200-300 mm; it includes the eastern regions of Rostov Oblast and Stavropol Krai. The sum of active temperatures is 3200-3700 °C.

In the steppe and southern forest-steppe regions of the North Caucasus, frequent droughts are characteristic. A significant part of the land is subject to soil erosion by wind. Dust storms most often occur in the Armavir corridor (Stavropol and Krasnodar Krais). Wind speed during dust storms can reach 25-30 m/s, accompanied by significant soil blowing out of up to 100-200 t/ha.

In areas with dissected relief, water erosion occurs, with soil wash reaching 15-30 t/ha.

Soil cover

The soil cover of the North Caucasus is mainly represented by southern, ordinary, calcareous, and leached chernozems with humus content from 3 to 8% and a light or medium loamy particle-size distribution. Solonchakous and solonetzic soils occur.

In the south of the steppe part, southern loamy chernozems are widespread, with a humus horizon thickness of 50-70 cm and humus content of 4-5%. In the extreme south, along the northern shores of the Black Sea, dark chestnut and chestnut soils occur in a narrow strip with lower humus content and humus horizon. Patches of solonetzes and chloride solonchaks occur.

Relief

In the north of the region, plain relief predominates, changing to foothill and mountain relief as one moves south. The relief features of the North Caucasus promote the development of wind erosion in the plain part and water erosion in the foothill and mountain regions. In areas with rolling-plain relief, where strong winds occur and precipitation is 450-550 mm, combined erosion is manifested.

Vegetation cover

The high share of plowed land in the North Caucasus causes cultivated plants to predominate in the vegetation cover. In less developed mountain and steppe regions, natural vegetation occurs.

Among agricultural crops, the largest share falls to cereal crops, the main one being winter wheat. In crop rotations, more than 50% of the area is allocated to it. The share of industrial crops in Rostov Oblast and Stavropol Krai is 8-9.5%, and in Krasnodar Krai 15-20% of arable land. The share of fodder crops is 25-30%.

According to long-term observations, in the steppe and southern forest-steppe regions of the North Caucasus, the best overwintering and development of winter crops are ensured in grain-fallow and grain-fallow-row rotations including fields of clean or coulisse fallow.

Tasks of the farming system

Tasks of the farming system of the North Caucasus:

creating a favorable soil water regime and overcoming the negative consequences of droughts, primarily in the steppe regions;
ensuring conditions for obtaining high and stable crop yields on the basis of agricultural intensification;
reproduction of soil fertility;
protecting soils from wind and water erosion;
optimizing the structure of sown areas.

The main features of agriculture in the North Caucasus are frequently recurring droughts and the manifestation of wind and/or water erosion, which determines the features of farming systems. The soil-protective complex includes field-protective afforestation and afforestation of sands, ravines, and river and lake banks.

Crop rotation system

Under conditions of moisture deficit in Stavropol Krai and Rostov Oblast, rotation schemes are based on a link with clean fallow; grain-fallow and grain-fallow-row short-rotation rotations predominate. In Krasnodar Krai, grain-row, row, and diversified rotations are used with a high proportion of sugar beet and other row crops. The long rotation in such rotations is explained by the inclusion of crops requiring a long break in sowing and by the desire to reduce areas under perennial grasses and clean fallows.

The main task in introducing and mastering field crop rotations for all soil-climatic subzones of the North Caucasus is to provide winter wheat with optimal predecessors, the best of which is clean fallow.

On slope lands with a gradient of more than 3°, clean (black) fallows are replaced by sowings of perennial grasses or annual continuous-sown crops. Among occupied fallows, sainfoin for one cut and legume-grass mixtures, for example pea-oat, spring vetch, winter wheat, and winter vetch, show the greatest efficiency. The positive effect of occupied fallows is manifested provided timely harvesting of the fallow-occupying crop, high-quality soil preparation, and accumulation of sufficient moisture reserves.

Good predecessors of winter cereals include leguminous crops. Rotations with leguminous crops give the highest grain output per hectare. Widespread predecessors of winter wheat in the region are row crops harvested for silage. However, an important drawback of these predecessors is low reserves of moisture and nitrogen at the time of sowing winter crops. The emergence of winter wheat is negatively affected by excessive looseness of the soil after plowing, especially after late plowing.

Sugar beet is usually placed in rotations after winter wheat following clean or occupied fallow. Repeated sowings of sugar beet or after maize for grain, sunflower, and other predecessors that strongly dry out the soil are not allowed. After sugar beet, maize for silage or spring barley is often placed. Sunflower is cultivated at the end of the rotation; it is returned to its former place no earlier than after 7-9 years, since otherwise crops are very severely affected by gray mold and broomrape (Orobanche sp.).

Example rotations for North Caucasus crop rotation systems:

grain-fallow:

5-field: 1 — clean fallow, 2-3 — winter wheat, 4 — millet, 5 — winter or spring barley or oats;
6-field: 1 — clean fallow, 2-3 — winter wheat, 4 — clean fallow, 5 — winter wheat, 6 — spring cereals or castor bean.

grain-fallow-row:

5-field: 1 — clean fallow, 2-3 — winter wheat, 4 — maize for silage, sorghum, 5 — spring barley, winter barley, millet;
8-field: 1 — clean fallow, 2-3 — winter wheat, 4 — row silage crops (maize, sunflower, sorghum), 5 — winter barley, spring barley, 6 — clean fallow, 7 — winter wheat, 8 — sorghum for grain;
8-field: 1 — clean fallow, 2 — winter wheat, 3 — spring barley undersown with sainfoin, 4 — sainfoin, 5 — winter wheat, 6 — row crops for silage, 7 — winter wheat, 8 — sunflower;

grain-row:

8-field: 1 — grain legumes, 2-3 — winter wheat, 4 — sunflower, 5 — occupied fallow, 6 — winter wheat, 7 — maize for grain, 8 — castor bean;
9-field: 1 — occupied fallow, 2 — winter wheat, 3 — sugar beet, 4 — grain legumes, 5 — winter wheat, 6 — sunflower, 7 — maize for silage, 8 — winter wheat, 9 — spring barley undersown with sainfoin;

row:

8-field: 1 — peas, 2 — winter wheat, 3 — potato, sugar beet, 4 — maize for silage, 5 — winter barley, spring cereals, 6 — maize for grain, 7 — sunflower, 8 — spring cereals;
9-field: 1 — occupied fallow, 2 — winter wheat, 3 — sugar beet, maize for grain, 4 — maize for silage, buckwheat, 5 — winter wheat, 6 — maize for grain, 7 — maize for silage, 8 — winter barley, 9 — sunflower.

On slopes subject to wind and water erosion, soil-protective crop rotations are introduced with contour organization of the territory and strip placement of crops. For example, 1 — perennial grasses, winter wheat, 2 — perennial grasses, potato, 3 — perennial grasses, oats + grasses, 4 — winter wheat, perennial grasses, 5 — potato, perennial grasses, 6 — oats + grasses, perennial grasses.

In fodder near-farm rotations, maize and sorghum, perennial and annual grasses, and winter and spring cereals are cultivated.

Tillage system

In dry areas on light-textured soils, soil-protective tillage is used that ensures stubble retention on the surface. In areas of wind corridors, for example in the Armavir corridor, flat-cut tillage is used.

Under sufficient moisture on heavy soils, plowing to various depths is carried out, and plowing is alternated with flat-cut and surface tillage depending on cultivation technology.

Tillage of clean fallow

Tillage of clean fallow in the severely dry eastern and southern regions begins with post-harvest loosening of the soil with a BIG-3 needle harrow. Within 2-3 days afterward, the first erosion-control treatment is carried out with KPE-3.8 or KPSH-9 cultivators to a depth of 10-12 cm. Until late autumn, when rain falls, harrowing is carried out, which helps preserve stubble better and accumulate more moisture. When weeds grow, the field is cultivated with KPE-3.8 or KPSH-9 to 12-14 cm. The main fallow treatment occurs in the first ten days of October with deep-loosening cultivators of the KPG-250 or KPG-2-150 type to a depth of 25-27 cm.

In spring, harrowing and cultivation to 14-16 cm are carried out with KPSH-9 flat-cut cultivators in a unit with ZKK-6A rollers, which allows the seedbed layer to be well prepared. Subsequent fallow treatment is carried out with KPP-2.2 or KPSH-9 cultivators to 10-12 and 8-10 cm. Pre-sowing cultivation is performed to the sowing depth of winter wheat seeds, 6-8 cm. When precipitation falls, harrowing with BIG-3 is carried out to break the surface crust and preserve moisture. Wheat is sown with grain rod seeders across the direction of prevailing erosion-dangerous winds.

Technology for preparing early fallow. In autumn, stubble is not treated, so in winter and early spring it protects the soil well from wind erosion and helps accumulate and preserve moisture. Plowing of early fallow is completed no later than the end of April.

The number of surface treatments of fallow in summer depends on soil condition, precipitation, and weed infestation of fields. In erosion-dangerous areas, it should be minimized.

Layer-by-layer treatments to different depths show a greater effect than treatments to the same depth. In spring, after cover harrowing, with mass regrowth of weeds, the first deep cultivation to 10-12 cm is performed with heavy KPE-3.8 or KPSH-9 cultivators. To control perennial weeds, share stubble cultivators to 12-14 cm and KPSH-9 erosion-control cultivators are used. Subsequently, fallow and rod cultivators are used, gradually reducing the treatment depth. The last cultivation is performed to the sowing depth of seeds, 5-6 cm.

Deviations in fallow treatment technology lead to large moisture losses, poor field cleaning from weeds, development of erosion processes, and a significant yield reduction. A typical mistake in preparing clean fallow is excessive loosening.

Tillage for winter crops after non-fallow predecessors

The main tasks of tillage for winter crops after non-fallow predecessors are timely soil preparation, moisture conservation, elimination of cloddiness, and weed destruction. It is important not to allow a gap between harvesting the predecessor and the first treatment. In this case, it is appropriate to begin treatment without waiting for the entire field to be harvested, on individual freed plots, while achieving optimal structure of the arable layer by harrowing and rolling.

After occupied fallows and grain legumes, the main treatment is carried out taking into account soil moisture, species composition of weeds, and the ability of the treated layer to crumble. If crumbling is sufficiently good, plowing is carried out to a depth of 14-16 cm with combined plowing units or PL-10-25 share stubble cultivators with preparation of the upper layer with a BIG-3 needle harrow.

When the soil dries out for winter crops, moldboard plowing is replaced by high-quality surface treatment to a depth of 10-12 cm. For this, BDN-3 and BDT-7 harrows, KPE-3.8 erosion-control cultivators, and KPSH-9 and KPP-2.2 flat-cut cultivators in combination with BIG-3 harrows are used.

High efficiency in preparing soil for winter crops after non-fallow predecessors is provided by AKP-2.5 combined tillage units, which in one pass combine the technological operations of surface loosening, cutting the soil to a depth of 10-14 cm with a flat-cut tool, leveling, and rolling. The upper soil layer is not inverted, is well worked to a fine-clod structure and leveled; up to 60% of stubble remains unincorporated on the field surface, forming a mulch layer.

Fertilizer system

For all regions of the North Caucasus, it is important to halt the decrease in humus reserves in the soil through the use of organic and mineral fertilizers, grass sowing, green manuring, and incorporation of plant residues. This is especially relevant in Rostov Oblast, where, as a result of long-term failure to observe the law of return, significant mineralization (dehumification) of chernozem soils has occurred and a negative balance of organic matter is observed.

In a 5-6-field crop rotation, the organic matter deficit per rotation averages 21-25 t/ha (Stavropol SRIA). Application of mineral fertilizers reduces the deficit by 2-3 t/ha. Well-prepared manure at an application rate of at least 60 t/ha completely eliminates it. Therefore, to maintain a deficit-free humus balance, it is necessary to apply annually at least 8-10 t/ha of manure or 6-8 t/ha of manure with a sufficient amount of mineral fertilizers. It is necessary to take into account the mineralization of organic matter during the fallow period.

For all regions of the North Caucasus, fertilizer application for winter wheat gives good results: the yield increase from mineral fertilizers after fallows reaches 1.1-1.3 t/ha, and after non-fallow predecessors 0.8-1.0 t/ha. Sugar beet, sunflower, grain legumes, maize, sorghum, and alfalfa give a good response.

In the fertilizer system, the effect of basal fertilizer is calculated for several years of the crop rotation or link. For most crops, row application of phosphorus fertilizers is effective. Nitrogen root side-dressings are better carried out on fields sufficiently supplied with mobile forms of phosphorus. When soil phosphorus content is low, it is more effective to apply nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers. To improve grain quality, wheat is top-dressed during the heading period.

A rational and scientifically based fertilizer system allows obtaining high stable crop yields while simultaneously improving soil fertility and product quality.

Soil-protective complex

The North Caucasus is a region of active wind and water erosion. Droughts are frequent, especially in June and July. Annual plowing and sharp temperature fluctuations in winter and spring cause the soil to lose cohesion and resistance to wind and water.

Dust storms cause soil removal, blowing out of seeds, and damage to young crops by windblown soil. At intervals of 1-4 years, they are observed in the central part of the North Caucasus, in the Armavir wind corridor and adjacent areas. Wind speed during dust storms reaches 30 m/s, and soil losses in the absence of soil-protective measures are 100-300 t/ha, with 1-3 cm of the layer blown away; in some fields in the central part, up to 1000-2000 t/ha, or 10-20 cm.

In the region, 14 main wind corridors are identified, with a total area of about 2.2 million ha, including 1,380 thousand ha in Rostov Oblast, 490 thousand ha in Stavropol Krai, and 310 thousand ha in Krasnodar Krai.

In wind corridors, along with deflation, water erosion occurs, which is most noticeable in Rostov Oblast and in foothill and mountain areas.

In years of droughts and dust storms, yields fall by 1.5-2 times. For Stavropol Krai and Rostov Oblast, droughts differ greatly in time of onset, intensity, and duration.

For the regions of the North Caucasus, an adapted soil-protective complex has been developed, which has become the basis for new land management projects, including erosion-control organization of enterprise territories, tillage and crop sowing technology, agroforestry, hydraulic structures for regulating meltwater and rainwater runoff, and irrigation.

Soil-protective complex for dry areas:

introduction of short-rotation grain-fallow rotations with strip placement of fallow across prevailing winds, with strip width of 50-100 m;
planting of field-protective forest belts every 250-300 m;
tillage with retention of crop residues on fallow and fall-plowed land;
sowing of cereals with stubble seeders;
installation of irrigation systems for plots for sowing fodder crops and forest plantings;
reclamation of solonetzic soils.

Plant protection system

In the regions of the North Caucasus and southern Ukraine, winter wheat crops are damaged by the cereal ground beetle (Zabrus tenebrioides) and sawflies. The turnip moth (Agrotis segetum), meadow moth (Loxostege sticticalis), shield-backed bugs (Scutelleridae spp.), grass flies (Chloropidae spp.) and aphids, thrips, cereal leaf beetles, and mouse-like rodents are widespread.

Common diseases of cultivated plants include smut diseases, powdery mildew, root rots of cereals, and downy mildew of sunflower. In some years, certain rust species appear on cereals.

For the North Caucasus, the general measures of the plant protection system against pests and diseases and for weed destruction are:

high farming culture, consisting in the implementation of a complex of agrotechnical and cultural measures — crop rotation, high-quality tillage and harvesting, destruction of weeds and volunteer plants, disinfection of seed material;
improvement of the plant protection service (unit), organization of constant monitoring of the appearance of pests and diseases and weed infestation of fields;
rational use of chemical plant protection products, compliance with safety requirements when working with agrochemicals and environmental protection requirements;
introduction of biological methods of plant protection;
compliance with plant quarantine measures.

References

Bazdyrev G. I., Loshakov V. G., Puponin A. I., et al. (2000). Agriculture. Textbook for Universities. Moscow: Kolos Publishing House.