PROSPECTS FOR THE PEAT USAGE FOR THE REPRODUCTION OF THE SOILS FERTILITY

Ecological condition of soil in the agricultural fund of Ukraine is deteriorating as a result of a sharp decline in volumes of organic and mineral fertilizers. Saturation of organic fertilizers in Ukraine has decreased from 8.6 to 0.6 tones on hectare, standards of mineral fertilizers has fallen by 5-7 times. Over the past quarter of the century a decrease of humus content, nutrient reserves, increasing areas of acid soils is being observed. Particularly urgent is the issue of the shortening of organic fertilizers to compensate for the loss of humus. Due to the decline in livestock numbers, lack of animal farms in many farming areas it is proposed to use a plant remains as a source of organic carbon, but it will not solve the problem of the humus’s loss. A major resource for organic fertilizers in Ukraine is a peat. The analysis shows that the country has great resources of peat, which in its composition are suitable for their us age in agriculture to produce compost, as bedding for cattle etc. In today’s market conditions, peat is economically feasible to use as a local organic fertilizer to improve ecological condition and reproduction of soil fertility