Research on Crops

Economic impact of land degradation on agricultural production in arid regions in Russia

 


DOI: 10.31830/2348-7542.2025.ROC-1196    | Article Id: ROC-1196 | Page : 279-284
Citation :- Economic impact of land degradation on agricultural production in arid regions in Russia. Res. Crop. 26: 279-284
KORNEEVA E. A. korneeva.eva@list.ru
Address : Federal Scientific Center of Agroecology, Complex Melioration and Protective Afforestation, Russian Academy of Sciences, 400062, Volgograd, 97, University Ave., Russia
Submitted Date : 23-04-2025
Accepted Date : 7-05-2025
Online Published:

Abstract

Soil degradation in arid southern European Russia, intensified by climate change and unsustainable farming, requires urgent attention. While water and wind erosion impacts are known, their economic consequences remain understudied at regional scales, hindering mitigation efforts. Our study bridges this gap through a comprehensive economic assessment of degradation impacts in this progressively aridifying region. The investigation was carried out from 2022 to 2024 by the Laboratory of Economy and Mathematical Modeling of the Federal Scientific Center for Agroecology, Integrated Melioration and Protective Afforestation (Russian Academy of Sciences) in the dry steppe zone of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The main aim was to identify the territorial features of the degradation processes and to determine the economic damage to agriculture caused by water and wind erosion. Methodologically, the research combined analysis of degraded area statistics with economic modeling of productivity losses in winter wheat cultivation. It is established that despite comparable peak yield losses (2.8 t/ha for winter wheat), water erosion caused 2.1 times greater aggregate economic damage (USD 5.85 million) than wind erosion (USD 2.79 million). Normalized per hectare, this disparity decreased to 34% (USD 118.4 versus 78.3/ha), reflecting water erosion’s broader spatial distribution, and wind erosion’s concentrated local intensity. This study provides novel, granular insights into the economic consequences of soil degradation in southern Russia, demonstrating that both erosion types require equivalent policy consideration despite their differing spatial manifestations. The results highlight the necessity of incorporating both absolute and relative economic indicators in sustainable land management strategies.

Keywords

Agricultural production arid areas degradation winter wheat yield losses

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