Modeling of Trace Elements and Heavy Metals Content in the Steppe Soils of Ukraine

The recent deterioration of the ecological condition of agricultural lands, the tendency of reducing soil fertility, and the production of plant products, mostly of low quality, necessitate an understanding of the role of trace elements in the process of plant formation. The content of trace elements in soils affects the efficiency of absorption of basic nutrients by plants. Deficiency of iron, manganese and zinc reduces the supply of nitrogen to plants. Copper and calcium promote the absorption of phosphorus by plants, but excess of iron inhibits it. Excess of copper and molybdenum reduces the transfer of potassium to plants. Due to high yields of agricultural crops, a significant amount of trace elements is removed from the soil, so the introduction of the optimal amount of trace elements against the background of high agricultural technology is an additional measure to increase the yields and quality of agricultural products. Heavy metals are an important environmental factor, which, on the one hand, is necessary for living organisms, and on the other (with increasing concentration of these elements in the environment) constitutes a negative factor in their lives. The activities of industrial enterprises, car exhausts and other attributes of civilization, increase the content of heavy metals in soils and as a consequence negatively affect their quality. The term “heavy metals” is used for the metals with a specific gravity exceeding 5 g/cm3 or an atomic number of more than 20. Among them, lead and cadmium are considered the most dangerous. Therefore, modeling the content of trace elements and heavy metals in the Steppe soils of Ukraine is an additional mechanism for quality control of agricultural land and, as a consequence, of obtaining quality products to ensure food security of the state.