ASSESSMENT OF THE BALANCE OF BIOGENIC ELEMENTS IN THE SOUTHERN REGIONS OF UKRAINE UNDER CURRENT CONDITIONS OF SPRING BARLEY CULTIVATION

P. S. Nikitin; V.G. Ilina

doi:10.32782/uhj.36.2026.05

P. S. Nikitin Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University, https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5755-4116
V.G. Ilina Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5781-701X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32782/uhj.36.2026.05

Keywords: spring barley, biogenic element balance, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, hydrothermal coefficient, aridity, Southern Steppe of Ukraine

Abstract

The paper presents the results of a comprehensive assessment of the balance of biogenic elements in the agroecosystems of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine under current spring barley cultivation conditions. The aim of the study was to identify the patterns of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium balance formation under the influence of agrometeorological changes, transformation of crop acreage structure and mineral fertilizer application during 2015–2025 within Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. The study was based on the balance method for assessing biogenic elements, statistical analysis of crop acreage, spring barley yield and fertilizer application data, as well as agrometeorological analysis using the Selyaninov hydrothermal coefficient and the D. I. Shashko aridity index. Spatial and temporal changes in agroclimatic conditions, dynamics of cultivated areas, fertilizer use patterns and the relationship between nutrient inputs, removal and losses were evaluated. A persistent trend towards a reduction in spring barley acreage was identified in all studied regions, with the most pronounced decline observed in Kherson region. The results revealed an intensification of climate aridization manifested by decreasing hydrothermal coefficient values and increasing aridity index values. The most unfavorable moisture conditions were found in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, where the combination of atmospheric moisture deficit and elevated temperatures limits the efficiency of nutrient uptake by plants. The dominance of nitrogen fertilizers and insufficient application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers were established. Significant regional differences in fertilizer use were identified, together with a decline in fertilizer application rates in some regions after 2021. The balance calculations demonstrated that nutrient removal by harvest consistently exceeded nutrient inputs from fertilizers, resulting in a stable negative balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium throughout all studied regions. The obtained results indicate increasing risks of soil resource depletion in the agroecosystems of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine under ongoing climate change and insufficient compensation of nutrient removal. The findings may be used for improving fertilization systems, assessing agroecosystem sustainability and forecasting future changes in soil fertility under further climatic transformations.

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