In the difficult conditions of military operations, we continue our work to support the agricultural industry of Ukraine. The influence of various types of weapons on the state of the soil surface in the fields of Ukraine requires a comprehensive analysis (chemical, physical and biological). Of course, such work can be carried out only after checking for the presence of explosive objects and demining the territory.
Employees of the Institute conducted a survey of land plots that suffered various types of violations as a result of air and artillery shelling. The state of the soil surface in the fields was recorded on May 8, 2022, and soil samples were taken in places of land damage and its chemical composition was determined. According to the results of the analysis, no significant changes in the content of macroelements (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) were found.
We recommend that after demining, work should be carried out on the removal of large fragments of projectiles for the safe implementation of agricultural activities.
Depending on the extent of soil damage, we offer:
- to fill the ditches with a depth of more than 1.5–2.0 m with parent rock and soil mass that remained at the place of the explosion, in the order that will ensure the greatest productivity of reclaimed land (Fig. 1);
- ditches with a depth of up to 1.5 m (Fig. 2-4) - fill with the soil mass that remained at the place of the explosion;
- level the surface of the soil.
In order to determine the state of the soil cover that has been destroyed as a result of military actions, it is proposed to conduct a soil and agrochemical survey of the territory to determine the degree of deterioration of the soil, and to develop a plan of measures for its reclamation.
In the case of extensive damage in depth and area, after 2-5 years it will be necessary to restore the soil cover by adding soil mass in places of subsidence and leveling the surface.
Inevitable artifacts — small projectile fragments, after this kind of military impact, are unlikely to be removed from the soil in the near future (Fig. 5). Therefore, we can recommend ignore them for now.
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