The use of microbiological agents in potato growing in the zone affected by metallurgical production

The efficiency of using microbial agents for growing potatoes in the zone of influence of metallurgical production in the conditions of the Southern Baikal region was assessed. The studies were carried out at three sites near a large industrial aluminum enterprise in the city of Shelekhov in 2015-2016. Microbial agents of Japanese (EM series) and Russian production (Baikal EM1, Fitosporin) were used in the study. It was revealed that the effectiveness of Fitosporin and EM preparations depended to a greater extent on soil’s pH and weather conditions. Thus, growing potatoes on slightly acidic soils using EM agents caused a stable increase in yield by 14-22%, and on alkaline soils, increasing yields were recorded in less than 50% of cases. At the same time, using Fitosporin-M bioagent on alkaline soils resulted in increasing potato yield by 13…22%. Using this bioagent on slightly acidic soils increased yield (by 26%) only in 2016. The results obtained indicate the prospects of further research on the use of biological products in the cultivation of agricultural crops in contaminated areas.