Monitoring and restoration of soils (agrocenoses) in the border regions of the North-Eastern Forest-Steppe of Ukraine: challenges and prospects

Abstract

Elina Zakharchenko*, Olena Klymenko, Volodymyr Trotsenko, Natalia Kravchenko, Mykhailo Kliuchevych, Inna Mozharivska, Kateryna Kyrylchuk, Oksana Datsko, Valentina Toryanik, Maksym Hnitetskyi, Andrii Stavytskyi, Roman Kotiuk

This study investigates the impact of war on soil degradation in the Sumy region and across Ukraine, highlighting risks to sustainable agriculture and evaluating strategies for restoration that align with environmental and climate resilience goals. A key challenge is the physical deterioration of soils caused by mining activities, explosions, heavy machinery movement, and chemical contamination from heavy metals and explosive residues. These war-related impacts are compounded by climate hazards such as increased drought frequency, higher erosion risks, and reduced crop quality. The findings demonstrate viable pathways for the reconstruction and recovery of the agricultural sector in the Sumy region. Proposed measures include bioremediation technologies, the use of green manures, agroforestry, land-use zoning, and the development of precision farming. Furthermore, certain crop varieties and hybrids-including cereals (wheat, barley, corn), oilseeds (sunflower, rapeseed), and legumes (soybeans) were identified as having the ability to either minimally accumulate pollutants in edible grains or concentrate them in non-edible parts, ensuring both safe consumption and compliance with export standards to the EU. The article describes in detail the problems of the impact of war on the environment and the implications for a sustainable transition, drawing on data from primary literary sources and reports.