Przyrodnicze podstawy

The natural conditions within the food zone of Łódź urban administrative province are rather unfavourable for intensive agricultural production. The restricting elements include, first of all, the Iow precipitation sum especially at the time of intensive growth of plants, and too high share of soils with low bonitation classes poorly equipped with nutritive components and subject to overdrying. This accounts for a relatively big intensification of rye-and-potato crops giving on the average lower yields than the national average. This is best noticeable in southem regions of the zone. The northern part of the food zone has the most favourable index of agricultural effectiveness. That is due to, a suitable character of the land sculpture (mainly plains or small elevations) and soils of wheat complexes appearing here. Despite relatively low indexes, the natural conditions in the examined area do not reistrict develapment of crops production. At present they are utilized to an average degree. It is possible to expand largely the intensive crops cultivation area through better development of land reclamation and fertilization. The biggest reserves of growth of crops production exist in the northern and central parts of the food zone, and especially on soils of the very good rye complex and good wheat copliex.