Biogeochemical Studies of Soils of the Terroir of Vineyards of the Western Caspian Region and Possibilities for Developing the Potential of Arid Lands

Abstract

To study in depth the functions of soil as a component of the biosphere and to promote sustainable and effective management of vineyards, comprehensive studies were conducted, including biogeochemical, biological, and mineralogical analyses of soils on the territory of one of the regions of grape cultivation known since ancient times, the Derbent region, located in the Primorskii strip in the southern part of the Western Caspian. The territory is represented by light chestnut carbonate soils with a full-profile structure of vertical profile horizons. For the first time, the obtained data on the mineralogical composition included calcinite, quartz, feldspar, and a clay component (ferrous chlorite, layered silicate, colite, hydromica), the presence of which is due to the residual part of sedimentary rocks. The revealed salt composition of genetic horizons illustrated the predominant role of Na and K, where HCO₃ is 0.33 mg-eq. This is a characteristic indicator of arid soils, indicating the ecological adaptability of grape crops to extremely dry climatic conditions. The discriminatory model of the regional cluster structure of mineral elements in wine was constructed using the following predictors: K > Mg > Na > Ca > Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni > Co, which is typical for regional wine in Dagestan. It was established that the samples of experimental wines had high tasting characteristics and a biologically valuable component composition of mineral and aromatic substances. The data obtained reveal the potential resources of light chestnut soils and can be used by producers when choosing sites for growing vineyards in areas where arid land degradation is occurring.