CAUSES OF DEGRADATION OF NATURAL PASTURES IN THE ZHAMBYL REGION AND THEIR RESTORATION

Abstract

 The article presents data obtained during study conducted in the context of the vertical (altitudinal) zonation of soils in the southeastern part of Kazakhstan, aimed at studying the causes of pasture degradation. The technologies for their restoration in specific project areas are also outlined.

Natural forage lands are the basis of nutrition for animal husbandry. A study of the current state of the food supply in our country shows that up to 80% of the animal feed ration is pasture forage. More than 64% of the area of Kazakhstan is occupied by pasture lands. Pasture forage is a plant resource that is renewed annually, and its potential productivity is about 22-26 million tons of feed units. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the consumer attitude of users to these natural resources has a negative impact on their nutritional value. Yields decrease, the composition of the grass layer and the quality of the forage change, and the areas become overgrown with inedible and poisonous plants.

During the study, water and physical parameters of the soil, agrochemical analysis of the soil, measurement of the projective cover of plants and weighing of the pasture mass of grass, determination of the forage nutritional value (chemical composition) were carried out. Taking into account the seasonal yield of natural grass, the increase in live weight of animals during the grazing period and economic efficiency were determined. In the course of the ongoing work, conditions have being created for the restoration of degraded pastures in the Zhambyl region. The growth and development of the green cover increases by 14-17%, and livestock production rises by 11% due to rational grazing practices.