All land in our country is divided into agricultural and non-agricultural. Depending on the climatic conditions, method of use and quality condition, there are also subtypes of these two groups.
Definition
What is agricultural land? The definition of this concept is quite specific (as opposed to categories). Agricultural land is called land intended for the cultivation of cultivated plants, livestock and related activities. Each such site has closed borders and a specific location.
The following groups of plots belong to agricultural lands: arable land, pastures, hayfields, perennial plantings, and fallow lands. One subspecies in the process of doing business can go into another. But this happens very rarely.
Arable land, fallow and perennial plantings
Most of the agricultural land is made up of areas intended for planting cultivated plants. Such plots relate to arable land. But only if they are systematically processed. In addition to fields with cultivated plants, this group includes crops of perennial grasses in areas of crop rotation, hatched fields and clean fumes. The total area of ​​all arable land of the Earth today is about 1.3 billion hectares. This is about 3% of the land surface. The total area of ​​farmland in Russia is 2434.6 thousand ha. Moreover, arable land accounts for 60% of all land.
The definition of “fallow” includes areas previously plowed, but not used for growing plants for more than a year, and also not prepared for steam. Perennial plantings are lands artificially planted with trees, shrubs and perennial grasses. This group includes, for example, berry plants, orchards, vineyards, hops, tea plantations, etc.
Hayfields and pastures
Agricultural plots can be used not only in crop production, but also in animal husbandry. So, hayfields include those plots on which perennial grasses grow. The main purpose of this type of land is to feed livestock with mowed vegetation on them in the winter. Such lands, in turn, are classified into several groups. On a qualitative basis, hayfields are distinguished:
- Clean. On such lands there are no bumps, stumps, large stones, trees and shrubs. Mowing on plots of this type can be done with maximum efficiency.
- Pointed out. This group includes areas covered by bumps at least 10%.
- Forested and shaded. Such sites in our country are not uncommon. The lands covered by tree and shrub vegetation by 10-70% are assigned to this group. Mowing in such areas is complicated and requires a lot of time.
In Russia there are about 10 million hectares of fodder land overgrown with forests and shrubs, and about 2.2 million hectares of fenced areas.
Depending on the degree of moisture, such agricultural land is classified into:
- jellied;
- dry land;
- waterlogged.
Of the first two groups, improved areas are additionally distinguished.
Pastures are land intended for grazing in the warm season, not related to hayfields or fallow lands. There are only two varieties of such sites: swampy and dry. The latter are usually located in floodplains of rivers and streams and are flooded during the spring flood for a short time. Boggy pastures are located in lowlands, on the outskirts of marshes and in poorly drained territories.
Land plots are divided into long-term cultivated and improved. Like hayfields, pastures can be classified by quality. In this regard, distinguish between clean, dotted and forested areas. Unfortunately, there are a lot of not too high-quality lands of this group in our country. However, if agricultural enterprises have funds and well-developed management projects, the situation can be improved.
Land Code of the Russian Federation No. 78-F3
The use of agricultural land is regulated by the state. When performing various kinds of work in such areas, they are guided primarily by Federal Law No. 78-F3 “On Land Management,” adopted in 2001. Areas of the group under consideration belong to the category of agricultural land . This also includes:
- land occupied by on-farm communications and roads;
- protective forest belts;
- land with enclosed bodies of water;
- plots occupied by various constructions intended for storage or primary processing of agricultural products.
The use of agricultural land is regulated by the Land Code of the Russian Federation. This law defines the subjects of rights to plots, the legal regime of farming and the rights of citizens involved in gardening, horticulture or raising livestock on personal farmsteads.
Transfer to other categories
Agricultural land is legally subject to special protection. Such lands are transferred to other categories only in exceptional cases. Transfer can be carried out only if necessary:
- fulfillment of international obligations;
- development of mineral deposits;
- state security;
- content of cultural heritage objects.
Especially valuable land
By quality, the existing agricultural land in Russia can be classified into:
- Cadastral valuation plots above the mid-district level.
- Especially valuable in the region.
- Disturbed lands.
Particularly valuable agricultural land, which, among other things, can include experimental sites of scientific and educational organizations, is often included in the list of lands whose use for other purposes, except, in fact, agricultural, is not allowed.
Cost-effective use
The quality of agricultural land, therefore, may have different. To compare the value of specific sites relative to each other allows economic assessment. It can be general, produced on the basis of a comparison of costs and results for the entire totality of crops grown, or private. In the latter case, the degree of efficiency of cultivation of specific varieties of agricultural plants is determined. Such an assessment can be made when planning and distributing production or identifying specific results of enterprises.
How efficiently farmland is used in a particular case is determined by the system of value and in-kind indicators. The main ones are:
- gross output value and net income;
- yield c / ha;
- return on investment in land;
- profitability of agricultural enterprises.
Sometimes, as an additional indicator, a comparison is also made of the share of total farmland, arable land and crops.
Most often, the effectiveness of land use is verified by the valuation method. It is calculated by a set of yield indicators for the last 3-5 years. Also taken into account:
- the proportion of differential income;
- production costs;
- gross output;
- land quality, etc.
Rational use
The purpose of land used in agriculture may be different. But in any case, the main indicator of their quality is fertility. Rational use of such land use, in which it is possible to obtain maximum yields without reducing this indicator. The legislation in force in Russia today provides for economic incentives for land users, landowners and tenants to apply such farming methods in which the fertility of plots not only does not decrease, but also increases in every way.
In addition to the deterioration of the composition and structure of the land, irrational use can lead to pollution and flooding. In order to avoid soil degradation, crop rotation should be observed first, competent use of heavy equipment (to avoid overconsolidation), use of mineral fertilizers only in the right quantities and on time, liming if necessary, etc.
Geography of farmland in Russia
Slash-and-burn agriculture in the zone of mixed forests in our country developed by the beginning of the 6th century. In the 14-15th centuries it was replaced by steam. In the 18th century in central Russia, the stage of continuous land development has begun. A little later, the area of ​​agricultural land spread to the middle and northern taiga. By the 20th century, land development was largely completed. The picture of the geography of the land that has developed in the past century has not changed much to this day. The only exception is the development of virgin lands. To date, about 50% of all arable land is in the European part of Russia, 30% in the South Urals and 20% in the south of Siberia.