Weeds, diseases and plant pests as factors of famine in 1932-1933

Land tenure system (individual land using and conventional farming) which had been formed in the USSR by the middle 1920th, single-crops and low farming techniques and farming chemicalization led to emergency development of weeds, diseases and plant pests. In spite of agricultural enterprises consolidation and attempts to remove farming techniques backwardness, the grain production in the USSR had been doomed for weeds, diseases and plant pests outbreak that occurred in 1932 in main cereals regions of the USSR. Consequently, catastrophic epizooties of some plant pests and catastrophic epiphytoties of weeds as well as cereal crops mycosis led to catastrophic losses of yield that took place in 1932 in main cereals regions of the USSR. The highest level of pest infestation, dockage of grain was observed in 1932, it was the cause of cereals crops baking value fall. From quarter to half of gross grain yield was off-grade and from 30 to 70% of grains were unapt for food in 1932-1933. The most sufferers were the main cereals regions - Ukraine and Northern Caucasus, where the greatest mortality was observed in 1933. Thus, weeds, diseases and plant pests were one of principal factors of crop failure and bad cereals crops baking value as well as famine in 1932-1933. In spite of high mycosis infection of grains, high mortality from mycosis intoxication wasn’t confirmed.