37,5% arable lands in Bashkiria need limewashing

“According to the results of agrochemical investigation 1 million 290 thousand hectares of arable lands in Bashkiria need limewashing” – the deputy Minister for agriculture RB Vladimir Neznanov said at the meeting re the rise of land fertility, held in the Ministry for agriculture RB under the chairmanship of the Vice-Premier – the Minister for agriculture RB Ernst Isaev. This problem was discussed on the eve of the sowing campaign.

Large areas of acidic soils (up to 80%) are available in northern and northeastern regions, Vladimir Neznanov reported, and coming from agrochemical 50-year-cycle requirements the annual volumes of land limewashing should make up 258 thousand hectares. But for the last three years slightly more than 10 thousand hectares have been limewashed.

“We have to increase volumes of limewashing works 10-12 times, reaching 120-130 thousand hectares annually” – Ernst Isaev posed the problem – “For execution of such volumes of work we have all opportunities: the open pits for mining lime flour, four sugar plants and about 500 thousand tons of defecation residues are available at every plant”.