The aim of the research is to make actual assessment of the parameters of peat soil transformation in Byelorussian Polesie under long-term period of their agricultural use after land reclamation. Using well-known methods we have studied such parameters as content of organic matter, dehydrogenase activity, soil specific gravity, fraction content of soil nitrogen. It is established that first years after drainage several soil varieties with soil organic matter content less than 50 % form in place of shallow peat and peat-gley soils. At the same time soil specific gravity increases, water retention reduces, and the content of labile forms of phosphorus and potassium rises by an order of magnitude, which reaches 640 and 475 mg/kg respectively. Stocks of hydrolyzable nitrogen are stable by the steps of peat soil transformation and vary within 0.5–1.2 t/ha depending on conditions of vegetative season and crop. Stocks of mineral nitrogen vary from 0.05 (at soil organic matter content ~ 5 %) to 0.25 t/ha (~ 80 %). Mineralized peat soils have an optimal qualitative content of nitrogen pool for crops by increasing the portion of mineral nitrogen. Carbon dioxide emission and biochemical activity are determined by organic matter content and associated with them water retention. Emission does not depend on the duration of agricultural use and growing crop. During agricultural use, peat soils allow the implementation of its productive capacity at a high level (up to 10 t/ha and more) without any restrictions on production. Wherein, modern approaches to their use provide the preservation of fertility by preventing deflation and mineralization of organic matter.
Keywords: peat soils, organic matter, carbon dioxide emission, Polesie, enzymatic activity, parameters of fertility.
