Methodology for Integrated Assessment of Agricultural Land - Eurasian Soil Science

Abstract The analysis of various ways of agricultural land assessment is presented. Disadvantages and limitations of the soil-ecological index application are shown. The necessity of differentiation and expansion of assessment indicators in conditions of agriculture intensification is justified. The experience of agroecological assessment, typology and classification of agricultural landscapes and soils for projecting the adaptive landscape farming systems is discussed. It is suggested that this experience and the existing databases of soil research in Russia should be used to create a system of integrated agricultural land assessment. As a starting point for its creation, it is necessary to formalize the assessment requirements in the form of a register of biological requirements of rops and cultivars and a register of agricultural technologies. In accordance with these requirements, a register of models for assessing agricultural lands by their agroecological groups within the provinces of natural and agricultural zones should be developed. The methodology of the development of registers of agroecological types of land and indicators for their economic efficiency for extensive, normal, and intensive agricultural technologies is considered.