AZERBAIJAN SOIL SUITABILITY CLASSIFICATION AND THE APPLICATIONOF THIS DATA FOR LAND CONSOLIDATION

Recent environmental issues which appeared after the anthropogenic impact and the inefficient use of land resources in our country undoubtedly had adverse effects on the state of the soil cover. Recently, the soil cover of all Azerbaijan biomes has been destabilized by the environmental situation, which in turn leads to severe degradation of the fertile topsoil. Due to the severe soil-cover deterioration, we cannot hope that the fertile topsoil will restore itself. The soil-cover deterioration in the country is directly related to the decrease in land areas suitable for crop growing. As a result of severe soil-cover degradation, it is necessary to withdraw large land areas from agricultural use completely or partially. Due to the existing situation of the soil-cover state in the country, the authors of the article propose to develop a scientifically based state program for the rational use of land resources, to protect and restore the soil fertility and agricultural land to improve the soil conditions and prevent further soil degradation. Taking into account that agricultural grouping of soils is the crucial tool for the successful solution to various issues related to the rational land usage and increasing its productivity, the authors of the article set the goal to study the quality of the country's soils and carry out the soil suitability classification of forest and agricultural lands. The method of carrying out soil suitability classification includes the conjunctive and differing genetic properties of the soil and the environmental conditions, having a certain impact on soil fertility. The lack of clear criteria for combining soil varieties in the country contributed to the improvised combination of soil varieties in soil classification groups. Since the government of our country has now realized the need to consolidate agricultural lands and is already taking the first steps in this direction, we believe that the use of soil suitability classification data in land consolidation will prove to be a great advantage to the respective specialists carrying out these activities for the scientifically based performance of their work.