WORMWOOD (ARTEMISIA) FODDER SPECIES TO THE DEGRADED PASTURES PRODUCTIVITY REHABILITATION IN THE NORTH-WESTERN PRE-CASPIAN

Abstract

The goal of this work is to ecological and biological characteristics of three species of Artemisia (Artemisia lerchiana Web., Artemisia pauciflora Web., Artemisia diffusa Krasch.) investigation for use of them in restoring fodder productivity of degraded pastures in the conditions of the semiarid zone of the North-West Circum-Caspian region. For the achievement of this objective field experiments were conducted in droughty zone of the Republic of Kalmykia. Here is continental climate. Summers are hot, the sum of active temperatures is 3600°С. Soils – brown semi-desert saline-solonetz. The annual amount of precipitation – 180-220 mm. The seeding held in November with a seeding rate of 500 g per 1 hectare. Seeds germination was in the range of 51.4 (wormwood white) – 61.5% (wormwood black). Seedlings germinate in March-April. The survival rate of seedlings and young plants was at the level of 79.7 (wormwood white), 83.9 (branchy wormwood) and 86,6% (wormwood black). The results of ecological and biological features of the sagebrush species studying give reason to classify them by the type of life strategy to violently types that are capable of capturing large territories and hold them. Monitoring of plants growth and development showed that during the first two years fully formed life form of semishrub with an average plant height of 40-60 cm and a root system that penetrates into the soil to a depth 80-120 cm. Yield of fodder mass in the 3-4^-th years of life was 0.42-0.63 t/ha of dry fodder mass with a yield of natural pastures – 0.15-0.3 t/ha. The fodder quality is characterized by high content of main nutrients (crude protein – 11-12%, crude fat – 6.2-9.0%, NFES – 44-45%, fodder units – 0.82-0.88, exchange energy – 10.0-10.37). Thus, wormwood white, wormwood black, wormwood branchy on the productive characteristics, feed quality and environmental and cenotic resistance to drought, salinity, high summer temperatures and solar insolation are promising vegetable objects for phytomelioration of much degraded arid natural pastures of the North-Western Caspian region.