Recommendations

Agricultural recommendations for radiation-affected farmlands

Recommendations on the application of mineral fertilizers for the perennial mid- season grass mixture cultivation on anthropogenic and ¹³⁷Cs-contaminated peaty soils, developed by Galina Sedukova [et al.] in 2020, 20 pages.

The recommendations are based on the results of research on yield performance and productivity of perennial mid-season grass mixtures cultivated on anthropogenically modified peaty soils contaminated by radioactive cesium. The book contains information on the effects of varied mineral fertilizers and their rates on radiological and zootechnical quality of grass-based animal forages. It also reports on the reference values of cesium deposition densities in soils, which can guarantee the cultivation of standard-compliant forages, and analyses the cost effectiveness.

The recommendations are targeted at all-level managers and specialists of agricultural enterprises, individual farmers and crop producers, scientists and researchers, educators and students in agronomical and agroecological academic courses.

Recommendations for home crop cultivation and personal livestock farming in contaminated rural areas in the long term after the Chernobyl accident, developed by Galina Sedukova [et al.] in 2020, 23 pages.

The recommendations contain general information on the present-time radiation situation in contaminated residential areas and describe the radionuclide uptake differences between various vegetable, fruit and berry crops grown by individuals on mineral and peaty soils. The authors also include some prediction estimates of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr contamination levels in home-grown crops based on different deposition densities of radionuclides in soils and give a list of recommended actions and methods to reduce contamination levels in home-produced foods.

The second part is dedicated to the personal livestock production in contaminated areas and contains information on the transfer factors of radionuclides and predicted contamination levels in animal and poultry products based on different deposition densities of radionuclides in grazing areas. Recommendations are given on how to keep the content of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr in home-produced livestock products as low as possible.

The target readership includes but is not limited to the villagers of contaminated areas, individual farmers and producers, scientists and researchers, educators and students in agronomical and agroecological academic courses.

Recommendations on the treatment of contaminated firewood ashes, developed by Galina Sedukova [et al.] in 2019, 18 pages.

These recommendations are dedicated to the ways of treating wood ash generated from using contaminated firewood in heating plants, individual homes and farm facilities located in radiation-affected residential areas.

The book contains information on collection, storage and usage of firewood ashes, contamination levels in firewood ashes versus radionuclide concentrations in firewood, committed effective doses to heating-house workers.

The recommendations are targeted at managerial and specialist staff of housing and communal services and individual residents utilizing firewood for heating and other purposes.

Recommendations on the treatment of contaminated firewood ashes on personal household plots in Chernobyl-affected areas, developed by Galina Sedukova [et al.] in 2019, 25 pages.

The recommendations depict summarized information on how radioactive contamination of soils changes from utilized firewood ashes containing different levels of radionuclide concentrations and how it affects the transfer of radionuclides into vegetable crops and agrochemical parameters of soils. The quantitative variables are given for the uptake of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr by various vegetable species, e.g. onion, carrot and cabbage, grown on contaminated soddy-podzolic soils, as well as recommendations on firewood ash treatment, utilization and precautions.

The target readership is focused on the residents of contaminated rural areas relying on local firewood for heating, cooking and other purposes, and utilizing generated ashes in farming practices on personal household plots.

Recommendations on winter barley cultivation in radioactively contaminated areas, developed by Galina Sedukova [et al.] in 2019, 21 pages.

The recommendations contain the concepts of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr transfer in the winter barley crops and the effects from various fertilizer applications on the accumulation levels and yield performance. The usability of contaminated soddy-podzolic soils for the crop cultivation is specified based on the study results. The authors recommend specific technological approaches and cultivation practices for growing winter barley crops in contaminated areas and show the cost effectiveness versus different fertilization types.

The recommendations are targeted at managerial and specialist staff of agricultural enterprises, individual farmers and owners of household plots, scientists and researchers, educators and students of agronomical and agroecological curriculums.

Recommendations on winter rape cultivation in radioactively contaminated areas, developed by Galina Sedukova [et al.] in 2019, 22 pages.

The recommendations are based on the results of studying the soil-to-plant transfer of radionuclides to the herbage, grain and hay of winter rape cultivated in contaminated soils of different genesis and granulometric texture. It shows how ¹³⁷Cs transfer factors change with exchangeable potassium supplies, and how ⁹⁰Sr transfer factors change with the change of exchangeable soil acidity. It also establishes the reference values of radionuclide deposition densities in soils guaranteeing production of norm-compliant winter rapes corresponding to the requirements of the Belarusian Republican Permissible Levels and the Customs Union Technical Regulation.

Specific recommendations on cultivation and technological procedures are given to provide for the highest harvests and lowest contamination levels of winter rapes grown in contaminated areas.