The article presents main results of scientific researches of the Kazakh Research Institute of Soil Science and Agrichemistry named after U.U. Uspanov, awarded Order of the Red Banner during period of Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan and main trends of soil and agrochemical studies.

Results of the research works in the geography, genesis and an estimation of soils area from 1991 for 2 011, executed in soil science and agrochemistry institute are considered.

The article presents the main results of soil-reclamation works carried out at the Kazakh Research Institute of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry) during the years of independence of Kazakhstan.

The article includes all programs and projects in basic and applied research works carried out during years ofIndependence.lt includes objects and main results of fundamental research works on anthropogenically disturbed, contaminated soils and transformed soils, caused by aridization of Aral Sea. It presents research results on applied researches in the foothill dark chestnut soils and irrigation area in Caspian area.

This review article presents the achievements of department of agricultural chemistry since foundation of the Institute and 20 years of Kazakhstan's independence. During those years the staff conducted analytical work on characterizing chemical, physical-chemical properties of various types of soils of the Republic within fundamental and applied researches conducted by the Institute, over 100 scientific papers were published, 2 recommendations were submitted, 2 applications for innovation patents were filed

The article describes the state of the soil fertility of chernozemzoneinthe Republic of Kazakhstan and activities needed for their solution.

Aim of the paper was the quantification of soil quality indicator in rural landscapes over large regions. For this purpose, representative soil catenas and single soil pits were dug, analysed and classified on test sites in Russia, Kasakhstan and Germany. Soil quality and crop yield potentials were assessed by using the method of the Muencheberg Soil Quality Rating (M-SQR). Results show that the estimation of all components of the site-specific water balance and drought risk assessment are key for the evaluation of soil functions in agricultural landscapes. We found close correlations between the overall soil quality rating score and grain yields of cereals. The suitability of the M-SQR approach for the assessment of soil quality and crop yield potentials consistently over spatial scales has been confirmed. We may conclude that our approach has potential for the creation of soil function maps of Eurasia based of a uniform methodology.

The article includes justification of a new method of reclamation treatment of infertile lands which are under active stage of soil formation, eliminating erosion processes and removal of the soil particles of saline horizon on field surface. Its effectiveness was for the first time characterized by microbiological analysis of transformation of organic matter applied into subsurface horizon.