QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF SLIGHTLY SALINE MEDIUM LOAM TYPICAL CHERNOZEMS IN CHORNOBAYIV REGION

The theoretical analysis of scientific sources was conducted in Chornobayiv Region to define general characteristics, including soil farmland. The soil fertility in Chornobayiv Region is one of the highest in Ukraine. The soils and environmental conditions of Chornobai zoning district are fully suitable to use agro-industrial qualities of agricultural areas (moisture resources and natural potential of soils), for development and introduction of selective farming systems and technologies adapted to specific natural conditions according to soil monitoring soil data. According to eco-geographical atlas of Ukraine and our results the soil cover characteristics were determined. To control the soil quality the data of agrochemical and eco-certification that allows them to assess the Agroecological state. Studies were carried out on slightly saline medium loam typical chernozems JV "Mayak". The environmental and agrochemical soil indices were studied. On the basis of data from ecological and agrochemical passports of fields soil quality indexes were defined by their suitability for agriculture. About 91% of all agricultural lands belong to the land of average quality. The soils of the first field crop rotation belong to moderate quality soils namely Class VI (fair lands) allowing them to be characterized as moderately supplied by nutrients and productive moisture. The pronounced negative properties of soils and technological properties of land decrease the quality and require additional measures to eliminate the negative effects

Media and cultural policy as public policy

The British Labour government’s media and cultural policies since 1997 are analysed as aspects of public policy. This allows assessment of the media and cultural policies of a supposedly centre-left government in a conjuncture marked by neo-liberalism, globalisation and the continuing growth of the cultural industries. An outline of guiding assumptions about public policy is provided, including the importance of the balance between social forces and structured inequality, but also the assumption that public policy operates with a certain amount of autonomy. Labour’s project is discussed as a particular hybrid of neo-liberalism, conservatism and social democracy, distinctive from the New Right neo-liberalism of the 1980s. An important element of this political hybrid is Labour’s profound ambivalence about the public domain. Developments in media and cultural policy are then analysed in these terms, in particular the performance of the new communications regulator Ofcom (Office of Communications) and its use of the concept of “citizen-consumer”. Reference is made to Labour’s strategic alliances with key social institutions, including key cultural-industry businesses. A final section examines how we might understand centre-left public policy in the era of neo-liberalism, and a variety of positions are offered about Labour’s record in government and the constraints it has faced. While such fundamental political dilemmas are not resolved here, conclusions are drawn regarding the lessons of Labour’s policies for the analysis of media and cultural policy, and of public policy