KUROK O. I. Tillage systems in Ukraine in Kyiv Rus epoch.

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     In the twentieth century the issue of the evolution of tillage was mainly interested in native historians and archaeologists. It is clear that they were interested in the socio-economic and socio-political dimension of the problem. So the problem of influence spread to the three-field system properties, composition, and soil evolution.

    The first step to use changes of Kievan Rus in IX – XIII cc. was a reduction of staying fallow plots and, accordingly, the gradual formation of the steam system, first with androgynous, alternating the rotation of winter and spring crops. The old system of land tenure - the hack was used in the steppe regions for the development of new areas, and in southern areas, such as Porossya could be translated and the system that require a large area of ​​vacant land.

     During the IX – XIII centuries on the territory of Kyiv Rus have occurred changes in the system of tillage. If at the time of the first Kiev’s princes was dominant slash and burn system where land plot was refining of plants and was fertilising by ashes. Two centuries late spread a new three-field system, which included crop rotation that made possible the restoration fertility of land. The transition to the new technology of soil was supplemented by using the plow (by the use of the plow). Note (one should take into account) that  tillage provided a new agrotechnical effect which helped the water to rise from the lower to the upper layers of the soil and also promoted  the aeration of the soil. The process of the mineralization of organic matter in soils and the formation of humus accelerated since the beginning of this process, it was important to increase their fertility.

    Native archaeologists noticed that with the introduction of plowing techniques Rus begin to grow new species of plants, namely the hulled crops were growing instead of bare-grained. These crops gave a lot of flour and this in return caused the growth of productivity of grain agriculture and its commodification in the XII – XIII centuries.

     An important element of the agrotechnical system in ancient time was the rise (growth) of the fertility by making an organic fertilizer. According to the native scientist S.P. Romanchuk the three-field system of cultivation required maintenance at least four head of cattle (on black soil: one cow, three oxen, on gray forest soils – one cow and two oxen, in the sod-podzolic – three cows and two oxen), since  one had to spend 5–6 tons of organic fertilizer on one hectare.

Key words: slash and burn system, three-field system, plowing, bare-grained culture, organic fertilizer