THE YIELD OF PERENNIAL GRASS AND LEGUME AND THEIR IMPACT ON SOIL FERTILITY IN THE STEPPE ZONE OF NORTHERN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

Expanded placement of perennial grasses on the farm field can provide an increase in gross fodder production due to rational placement on different agricultural landscapes. However, the unreasonable growth of grain crops and a significant decrease in the share of forage crops in the structure of cultivated areas has reduced the efficiency of fodder production for the development of livestock section, as well as reduced soil fertility and its resistance to deflationary processes. Due to this, highly relevant tasks in the arid regions of Northern Kazakhstan are: selection of high-yielding species, varieties of perennial grasses and identification of the impact of their crops on the elements of soil fertility. The article presents the results of comparative study of perennial grass productivity, forage quality and their influence on soil fertility. The productivity potential is revealed, on average for 2 cycles of study in different climatic conditions of 2020-2023 years for awnless bromegrass, Hungarian sainfoin and alfalfa the highest yield of herbage and dry matter was obtained. In particular, alfalfa and sainfoin provided the highest yield of digestible protein from 1 ha - 478.9-483.0 kg, exchange energy - 41.2 42.8 GJ, energetic feed unit - 3397-3642 f.u. Due to the sod forming process, alfalfa and sainfoin formed the highest yield of air-dry weight of roots. This contributed to the increase of humus and nitrogen content in the plough-layer on chernozem soils. The significance of research results for science and practice consists in substantiation of adequate choice of species composition at creation of agrocenoses of perennial grasses for preparation of highquality forage, reproduction of soil fertility and increase of productivity of subsequent crops after its cultivation.