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In the arid conditions of the Steppe of Ukraine, the species composition of weeds characteristic of this soil-climatic zone develops. The correctly chosen method of basic soil tillage determines the effectiveness of weed suppression while simultaneously improving the growing conditions for sunflower varieties and hybrids. The purpose of the study was to identify the species composition of weeds in the steppe zone and establish the effectiveness the methods of basic tillage of soil in the technology of growing sunflower hybrids aimed at suppressing weeds and reducing the quantity of weeds in agrocenoses. Research has established that weeds of sunflower agrophytocenoses are represented by 78 species that belong to 2 classes, 18 orders, 27 families, 62 genera. In the agrophytocenosis of sunflower, the largest number of 93.5-96.3% is represented by dicotyledonous weeds (Magnoliopsida). The species composition is dominated by weeds of the Compositae family (Asteraceae) of the dicotyledonous class (Magnoliopsida), which leads to a significant decrease in the yield level. According to the species composition, 3 groups of weeds of the Asteraceae family (Asteraceae) were identified, of which 1 group of weeds is the most harmful and leads to the formation of a minimum yield of sunflower hybrids Yason and Daryi of 1.77-1.79 t/ha. The use of non-moldboard tillage leads to a percentage increase in the share of air dry mass of weeds of the Asteraceae family by 11.1-13.1%, while reducing the yield of sunflower hybrids by 0.13-0.21 t/ha. Thus, with the established species composition of weeds and the quantity of weeds, the use of plowing in sunflower cultivation technology makes it possible to form a maximum yield of 2.07-2.24 t/ha, providing more effective weed suppression in sunflower agrophytocenoses with a minimum percentage of air-dry mass of weeds of the Asteraceae family to the total number of weeds of 21.1-24.1%.

The purpose of the research is to identify the most effective and preferable variant of the basic autumn tillage for inclusion of dark gray forest soil into the tillage system when sowing spring crops. The research was carried out in 2021–2023 in the conditions of the Chuvash Republic in the link of the field crop rotation "barley–peas–oats". Moldboard and non-moldboard autumn soil tillage methods were compared: plowing (26–28 cm) – control; cultivation (15–17 cm); disking (12–14 cm); without tillage. The tillage system was completed by surface early pre-sowing cultivation to a depth of 6 cm. During the studied years, the average soil density in the 0–30 cm layer was within the optimal values: after moldboard plowing it was 0.93–1.09 g/cm3 , after cultivation – 0.98–1.13 g/cm3 , without basic tillage– 1.05–1.20 g/cm3 . The average values of the soil porosity after plowing were in the range of 50.4–62.5 % and decreased with the abandonment of the basic tillage to 52.0–57.4 %. In arid conditions of 2021 growing season, the total supply of productive moisture in the 0–30 cm soil layer was 12–14 % higher after cultivation than after plowing. The analysis of the structural and aggregate state of the soil (0–20 cm) revealed an increase in the proportion of dusty particles by the end of the experiment after plowing from 3.9 to 6.9 %. When using a stubble cultivator as the basic tillage unit, the proportion of the lumpy fraction increased. The average annual productivity of the crop rotation link during moldboard plowing was the highest – 20.5 c/ha of grain units per 1 ha, after cultivation – 19.5 c of grain units per 1 ha. At the same time, plowing is the most expensive and economically unprofitable way of basic soil preparation. After cultivation with a KOS-3.0 combined stubble cultivator, the profitability of crop cultivation was significantly higher – 9.4–18.1 % after cereals in dry years and 96.9 % after peas under optimal hydrothermal conditions (for plowing – 8.3–4.2 % and 73.7 %, respectively).

Purpose: to conduct research dedicated to assessing the impact of primary soil cultivation techniques and the microelements application on the yield of cereal and leguminous grain crops. Materials and methods. The effect of moldboard plowing (25–27 cm), flat-cutting (20–22 cm), minimum surface tillage (8–10 cm) and no-tillage on the yield of leguminous crops (soybeans, peas, chickpeas) and cereal grains (spring wheat, Sudan grass) is studied. The studies were conducted at the experimental production farm of the Volga Research Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Land Reclamation in 2022–2024 using generally accepted methods. Results. The impact of basic tillage techniques and the impact of micro-fertilizers on vegetation in cereal and leguminous crops agrocenoses on productivity and its structure have been studied. The use of flat-cutting and the micronutrients application for cereals and legumes increased the yield indicators on average for soybeans – by 65.9 %, peas – 48.5 %, chickpeas – 41.8 %, spring wheat – 61.3 %, Sudan grass – 26.3 % compared with the no-tillage option. The maximum yield was obtained on soybeans with the use of flat-cutting tillage – 3.45 t/ha, and the minimum at no-tillage – 1.94 t/ha. The impact of flat-cutting tillage on the spring wheat productivity is expressed by an increase in yield by 0.34 t/ha, compared with no-tillage. Chickpea yield is higher when using flat-cutting tillage with leaf dressing – 2.75 t/ha, and without tillage and dressing – 1.87 t/ha. The yield of Sudan grass of two staves when using flat cutting tillage with the micronutrients application on vegetation is 40.37 t/ha and 31.50 t/ha with no-tillage. Conclusions. For the soil and climatic conditions of the dry steppe Volga region, it has been proven that when cultivating chickpeas, soybeans, peas, Sudan grass and spring wheat as examples, the best indicators of the crop structure were achieved in variants using flat-cutting tillage against the background of the micronutrients application to vegetative plants.

Purpose: to determine the share influence of agrophysical, technological, climatic factors and soil moisture on spring wheat grain yield in the arid conditions of the Saratov Trans-Volga region based on a complete correlation analysis of long-term field data. Materials and methods. To achieve this goal, an experiment with basic tillage with various implements according to the following scheme, was carried out: A₀ – with PLN-8-35 plow at 23–25 cm (control); A₁ – with plow PBS-10P at 23–25 cm; A₂ – with deep ripper SSD-4 (2017–2020), chisel plow PChM-4 (2021–2022) at 30–32 cm; A₃ – with a disk header BDM 7×3 PPKShKS at 10–12 cm. The research was carried out over a period of six years using generally accepted methods. Results. A complete correlation analysis of long-term data showed that the most significant influence on the spring wheat yield in the Trans-Volga region is exerted by precipitation during the growing season (24.1 %) and the hydrothermal coefficient (23.6 %). Air temperature determined this indicator by only 12.5 %. The share influence on the yield of soil density in the 10–30 cm layer was 2.9 %. The moisture content of the upper half-meter soil layer during the spring wheat tillering phase determined the yield by 14.8 %, and the lower one (50–100 cm) by 15.6 %. Conclusions. On average, over six years, the maximum yield of spring wheat Albidum 32 variety was obtained in variants with plowing (PBS-10P and PLN-8-35): 1.16 and 1.17 t/ha. Non-mouldboard cultivation with a deep ripper and chisel plow reduced this indicator by 8.5 %. Treatment of dark chestnut soil with a disk header reduced the spring wheat grain yield by 24.8 % relative to the control.

Changes in the climate conditions of the steppe zone of Ukraine, frequent placement of spring barley after the sunflower predecessor and many other reasons, cause the necessity to improve the system of basic tillage for spring barley in the direction of its minimization taking into account the technologies of growing crops. The issue of basic tillage for spring barley after sunflower, which is fairly common predecessor today, has not been studied yet. In this case, based on the complex experimental studies the effect of different types of basic tillage and their impact on the yield of spring barley in the Luhansk region has been studied. The aim of the research was to determine the best methods of basic tillage for spring barley with general background post-harvest residues of all field crops, application of mineral fertilizers and the influence of these factors on the yield of spring barley in Luhansk region. The following types of spring barley were sown during the experiment – Adapt, Stalker, Helios, Vakula. As a result of the conducted researches the best indicators were obtained at non-shelf tillage with the usage of modern aggregates and with joint application of Ammonium nitrate and Diammonium phosphate, at all biometric indicators of the studied culture. Since such tillage has not only loosened it well, but also ensured better accumulation and retention of moisture, which further affected the yield of spring barley plants in the area of insufficient moisture. Such strains as Stalker and Helios had the highest rates with the combined use of Ammonium Nitrate and Diammonium Phosphate in shelfless tillage at the level of 47,5 c/ha and 58,8 c/ha accordingly. Shelf tillage gave less results with such a fertilizer system. The lowest indicators were in the variant of disking in all studied samples

Today, in the scientific and practical field, as well as a long time later, much attention is paid to improving the quality and quantity of yield. To obtain the desired results, we considered various systems of basic soil tillage in the growing of winter wheat, namely, determined the influence of basic soil tillage systems on the autumn development of winter wheat in the Luhansk region. The results of research of the influence of the basic soil tillage and the forecrop on the density and content of productive moisture in the soil layer of ordinary chernozems and on the autumn phases of development of winter wheat variety “Antara” are discussed. The research was performed in 2018‒2020 in the fields of the department of scientific and technical training in agronomy and farms located in the north-central moderately arid subzone of Luhansk region. Three methods of soil tillage have been studied by us: moldboard ploughing ‒ depth 22 cm; moldboard- less disking ploughing ‒ depth 10 cm; moldboard-free subsurface cultivation ‒ depth 12 cm. Forecrops: occupied fallow, sunflower, maize. The research was performed according to generally accepted methods. By means of research was established the advantage of moldboard ploughing over moldboardless ploughing. Moldboard soil ploughing contributed to the creation of lower density in the arable horizon under different forecrops, greater microbiological activity of the soil, better water supply during the autumn vegetative season. Moldboard ploughing increased access to nutrients such as potassium and nitrogen, and moldboardless ploughing accumulated available phosphorus. Improving the agrophysical properties of the soil contributed to the formation of better biometric indices in the autumn vegetative season. The height of the plants where the soil was plowed to the depth 22 cm was higher compared to the height of the plants with moldboard- less disking ploughing to the depth 10 cm. This affected the number of stems, which also increased, the number of leaves and roots increased, respectively. The depth of the tillering node increased relative to the increase in the depth of soil tillage, the weight of 100 absolutely dry plants increased, respectively, almost three to four times. Thus, the basic soil tillage improves the agrophysical properties, increases the microbiological activity of the soil and improves the biometric indices of plants.

Aim. The aim of research was to study various methods of basic soil cultivation and a domestic wastewater silt sludge application which could possibility be directed to soil fertility saving and increase in crop yields.Materials and Methods. The object of research was a safflower variety called Alexandrite. Experimental variants were carried out according to a 4-fold repetition. Experiment installation, observations and accounting were carried out in accordance with the field experiment methodology named after B.A. Dospehov.Results. Field research was undertaken in order to study the various methods of a basic tillage and a domestic wastewater silt sludge application possibility under arid conditions of the Volgograd region on light chestnut solonetz soils. The amino acid composition of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) seeds has been estimated. The data from the study of soil microbiological activity and the effect of non-traditional fertilizers on the increase in the activity of soil biota are presented. The crop yields and economic evaluation of the Carthamus tinctorius cultivation were determined.Conclusion. Modern resource-saving soil cultivation technologies and nontraditional fertilizers are required to: maintain the fertility of slightly humus soils in this arid climate zone, increase amino acids levels in plants, increase soil biological activity, as well to increase safflower crop yields. The proposed technical solutions, employing Rancho chisel tillage with as the basic tillage together with the introduction of non-traditional fertilizers-meliorants, provides structural restoration of soil aggregates, intensification of the humus formation process, increase in soil microbiological activity and - as a result - an increase in the yield of the cultivated Carthamus tinctorius crop.

The choice of the method of basic cultivation must be differentiated, considering zonal soil and climatic conditions and local peculiarities of the fields. Chisel tillage refers to soil conservation technologies, and chisel tools provide low-power and, if it is necessary, differential loosened soil, the accumulation, preservation and rational use of soil moisture that is relevant in the arid climate. The authors designed the combined chisel working implements RANCHO, ROPA, plow-cultivator. The traction resistances of the working tools were studied strain-gauge method. The unified equation of traction resistance chisel working was developed. The resistance of tine, chisel, additional equipment on the tine and the dynamics of the chiseling were introduced. The resistance of the chisel was determind by pressure from the soil on its surface. If the speed of machine-tractor aggregate will increase from 1 to 3 m/s then traction resistance of the working implements ROPA will rise by 26-29 percent, plow-cultivator - by 21-23 and classic mould-board plough - by 35 percent due to more significant influence of the dynamic component during moving mould-board plough in the undisturbed soil. The plowing work by the plow-cultivator in comparison with mould-board plough provides more depth of soil loosening (0.38 m when 0.15 m real tillage and 0.2 m in control variant) at comparable energy consumption.