Dryland crop production in the Western Siberian grain belt is an important contribution to Russia's growing importance as a global wheat supplier. After the break-up of the Soviet Union significant changes in agricultural structures with recent intensification on cropland took place. Together with climate change predictions of drier and warmer growing conditions, this leads to upcoming challenges for water-limited crop production in the south of the Asian part of the Eurasian grain belt. A full-factorial field trial was conducted on a farmer's field to test adaptations of tillage (usual conventional tillage ‘CT’ vs. no-till ‘NT’), seeding depth (usual deep 6.5 cm vs. shallow 4.5 cm) and seeding rate (usual high 600 grains m −2 vs. reduced 450 grains m −2 ) for potential to increase water use efficiency and grain yield in spring wheat. Results from two above-average wet and cold growing seasons showed significant better soil water storage of NT (+40%) and no adverse effect on spring wheat grain yield and grain quality for the study site in the south of Western Siberia. Variations in seeding rate of the regional variety were compensated by different manifestation of the individual yield components: high seeding rates resulted in more reproductive ears per m 2 whilst reduced seeding rates produced more grains per ear. The traditional deep seed placement was found to be beneficial for NT but shallow placement was advantageous with CT. The highest yields of 3.19 and 3.82 t ha −1 were observed in 2014 with NT, deep seed placement and high seeding and in 2015 with NT, deep seed placement and reduced seeding rate, respectively. The on-farm field trial results revealed, that NT can be successfully used in dryland cropping under current agro-climatic conditions of Western Siberia and is a promising perspective under climate change predictions.

Impact of tillage, seeding rate and seeding depth on soil moisture and dryland spring wheat yield in Western Siberia

A new geological epoch has begun—the Anthropocene. Huge anthropogenic transformations of terrestrial landscapes over the past five decades have forced its declaration. Exploring of interaction of humans with nature in general, and with landscapes in particular, can be characterised properly by the terms ‘landscape research’ and ‘landscape science’. Landscape science has been a traditional scientific discipline of geography. This is the case in Russia, whilst the terms geo-ecology and landscape ecology have become established in the English-speaking scientific community. As landscapes are multifunctional, highly complex systems, landscape research is a platform for disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research. Landscape research in the Anthropocene must aim to combine landscape sustainability with high quality and productivity. This mission is in accord with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and the provisions of the Landscape Convention of the European Council. It includes halting landscape degradation, developing cultural landscapes and maintaining semi-natural landscapes. Clean water and air, fertile and healthy soils for food and other ecosystem services and a green and biodiverse environment are attributes of landscapes for the survival and well-being of humans in coexistence with nature. Landscape research must generate knowledge, innovations and responsible decision rules for achieving these aims. Big data gathering and scenario modelling are important for knowledge generation in a globalised world. International long-term experiments, observatories and monitoring systems will deliver data for comprehensive ecosystem models and decision support systems. Technical innovations must be imbedded in cultural solutions for the evolvement of landscapes. Springer International’s new book series ‘Innovations in Landscape Research’ aims to support better understanding, monitoring and managing landscapes. It contains a multitude of approaches and data. Some focus is on technical innovations for agri-environmental monitoring, on land and water management and its implications for landscape sustainability. Authors present novel tools for ecosystem modelling and forecasting of landscape processes, and on creating knowledge, rules and approaches for handling the multifunctionality of landscapes. The coming book series may serve as a knowledge, data and communication basis for informed decisions regarding the development of landscapes. It will enlarge our horizon and field of action by building bridges between scientific communities, scientific disciplines, and researchers and citizens.

Landscapes, Their Exploration and Utilisation: Status and Trends of Landscape Research

Chernozems and Kastanozems are widespread and used for agricultural production in the Altai Krai. The physical properties of these soils are favourable for agriculture because the parent material is mainly composed of silt and fine sand. Humus accumulation is another important factor for the development of stable soil aggregates in the course of soil development. Resulting soils are characterized by a favourable water balance and a good air capacity and are resistant against erosion. Due to the conversion of natural steppe into agricultural land, the natural physical soil properties are damaged with lasting effects. Other soil properties (soil organic matter) are degraded too, and the soil productivity is affected. Mechanical stress can be reduced by using methods of adapted soil management, which in turn improves beside physical also chemical soil properties and, therefore, the soil fertility.

Physical Soil Properties and Erosion

The Western Siberian grain belt is of global significance in terms of agricultural production as well as carbon sequestration and biodiversity preservation. Regional downscaling of general circulation models predict increasing drought risks and water scarcity for this area. Additionally, significant land-use changes took place in this region after the dissolution of the USSR and collapse of the state farm system: Land-use intensity in Western Siberia (Russian Federation) continuously decreased on grassland, whilst on cropland the intensity increased through recultivation of abandoned cropland and rising fertilizer inputs since 2003. Together, these changing conditions have led to challenges for sustainable agriculture in this semi-arid environment. For sustainable land management, strategies for adapted crop production systems are needed. In agronomic field trials, the potential of enhanced water use efficiency as contribution to a resilient agricultural system under changing climate conditions was evaluated and related to the common practice and regional research. In participatory on-farm trials, higher average soil water content (+40%) in the top soil layer led to higher grain yield (+0.4 t ha−1) and protein yield (+0.05 t ha−1) under no-till compared to the common practice of conventional tillage. Despite this, regional research still promotes bare fallowing with beneficial effects only in the first harvest after fallow, whereas the potential of no-till was visible each year, even under above-average wet and cool growing conditions. In this case study from the Western Siberian grain belt, we depict a possible pathway to make cereal production in Western Siberia more sustainable. However, the approach of applied sustainable intensification by promoting no-till is related to the negative concomitant effect of increased herbicide applications. Due to the strict rejection of GMOs in Russian agriculture by the federal government, this is a great opportunity to maintain a large, pristine area of over 17 million km2 with a lower risk of glyphosate-dependent cropping systems.

/pdf/sustainable-intensification-in-dryland-cropping-systems-3y3vuiv1rc.pdf

Sustainable intensification in dryland cropping systems - perspectives for adaptions across the Western Siberian grain belt.

The Kulunda Steppe in southwestern Siberia is nowadays an agrarian region characterized by an intensive land use unsuited for the natural environmental conditions. The KULUNDA project’s research region is part of the agricultural regions ploughed and cultivated during the so-called Virgin Lands Campaign of the Soviet era. Here, cause and effect relationships between physical and chemical soil properties under different land use managements are analysed regarding climate change adaptation, reduction of greenhouse gases and a sustainable regional development. This chapter focuses on the spatial differentiation as well as intensity- and process-related assessment of selected forms of soil degradation in the research region. The region’s soil degradation is characterized by changed physical and chemical soil properties besides the occurrence of water and especially wind erosion. Type and intensity of the different degradation processes vary with local environmental conditions. In this connection, we could show that type, intensity and period of land management practice resulted in various negative effects on local conditions which increase overall the vulnerability and erosion susceptibility of the locations. In areas with an annual precipitation of less than 250 mm, the degradation even leads partly to a desertification phenomenon.

Types, Occurrence and Tendencies of Soil Degradation in the Altai Krai and the KULUNDA Research Region

This chapter presents a concept and practicable solutions for effective and environmentally sound cereal-based cropping systems in Siberia. The work behind this was carried out in the framework of the international research project “KULUNDA, how to prevent the next global dust bowl?” We start with an analysis of the socio-economic and bio-climatic conditions and current practice for cereal cropping in Siberia. The climatic conditions of West Siberia were compared with those in the steppe regions of Canada. The adaption of current cropping practices based on South Canadian experiences, such as minimum tillage and direct seeding, seems to be promising for Siberia too. More reliable machinery for soil and crop management, exact seeding and spraying machinery in particular, will help to establish more robust crops which provide higher yield stability and better water use efficiency, and maintain soil fertility by protecting the soil against wind erosion. We designed and conducted field trials on three experimental sites in the Altai Krai of Siberia. These trials represent the outcomes of our analysis by combining the local expertise of Siberian scientists and farmers with experience from Canadian and Kazakh cropping practices and with proven and newly developed German technology for their realisation. The focus is on innovative technologies for soil conservation tillage operations and direct drill seeders. On 70 randomised plots, most modern no-till methods were compared with other variants such as modernized and conventional agricultural machinery, and with extremely out-dated methods of conventional technology. The latter variants include practices still dominating in Siberia: no crop protection and fertilisation as well as cereal monoculture and fallow. The initial results under very dry weather conditions confirm our concepts that conservation practices perform better when considering all aspects of soil protection, the performance of machinery, plant establishment and yield. Wider crop rotation can give higher economic stability and will help to get the cropping systems closer to natural conditions. Soils can be protected from wind erosion in an effective way using no-till systems, and the yield can be stabilized. Most modern seeding machines with wide row spacings and narrow, single depth-adjusted hoe opener systems are able to carry out shallow tillage in the seeding furrow only and to place the seed and fertiliser exactly at the adjusted depth. The running experiments will deliver more detailed data about crop management and yields, soil fertility and micro-economy in the coming two years. Though those more detailed data are still required, we may already conclude that our new approaches seem to confirm our hypotheses. They are soil conserving, practicable and effective, and have great potentials for broader application in Siberian agriculture.

Modern Cropping Systems and Technologies for Soil Conservation in Siberian Agriculture

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Modern Cropping Systems and Technologies for Soil Conservation in Siberian Agriculture