The article describes the geographical location, topography, underlying rocks, climate and soils. Based on the physical, chemical, and physico-chemical parameters of the soils, the ecological state of the soils was characterized, and using setting scales, an ecological assessment of the soils was made. The selection of criteria for environmental assessment of soil conditions is determined by the specifics of their location, genesis, buffering, the diversity of their use and the consideration of areas with varying degrees of soil degradation.

The soils of the studied territory are represented by gray-brown sandy and sandy loamy soils and salt marshes. Varieties of zonal soils boil weakly from HCl and the average sand content, respectively, ranges from 83.06 to 91.96 % and from 78.57 to 91.96 %. In the studied soils, the content of humus varies from 0.88 to 1.54 % and decreases sharply under the humus horizon. The same regularity is found in the content of both gross and mobile forms of the main elements of nutrition. The lowest content of carbonates in the soil profile is characterized by gray-brown sandy soil, 1.33 % was found in the 0-18 cm layer. The greatest indicator of carbonates is salt marsh, in the upper horizon of which the content was 10.42%. An intermediate position on carbonates is occupied by gray-brown sandy-loamy soil (6.56 %). A common pattern for the studied soils is an increase in carbonates down the profile and a low absorption capacity of cations (7.06-13.33 mEq per 100 g of soil). The composition of PPC is dominated by calcium cation. The content of exchangeable sodium of gray-brown soil in horizon C was 4.26 %, showing solonetzicity, and in the profile of gray-brown sandy loamy soil and solonchak in the profile there are signs of solonetzism.

The objects of research are the virgin and developed soils of the territories of rainfed farming of the foothill plains of the Western Tien Shan. The features of the formation and spatial distribution of the soil cover were revealed, the basic chemical and physicochemical properties of soils were determined. The developed structure of the soil database includes materials from previous and current studies. The anthropogenic transformation of soil properties was determined under conditions of their intensive use in agricultural production. A soil map and a map of soil degradation were compiled on a scale of 1: 100,000.

The determination of glyphosate in soils is of great interest due to the widespread use of this herbicide and the need of assessing its impact on the soil. However, its residue determination is very problematic especially in soils with high organic matter content, where strong interferences are normally observed, and because of the particular physico-chemical characteristics of this polar/ionic herbicide. In this article, we improved the methodology for the analytical determination of high performance liquid chromatography using UV detectors of the widespread glyphosate herbicide used in large areas for soy or corn, including among other crops in the foothills of South -East Kazakhstan. The determination of glyphosate by the developed method can be considered as a simple, fast, efficient and sensitive method for routine analysis of this compound in soil samples that uses minimal sample handling.

Agricultural production at the present stage of development requires a systematic and widespread increase in the fertility of irrigated lands of Kazakhstan. Therefore, the issues of improving the ecological situation in modern agrolandscapes, maintaining and reproducing soil fertility in them and increasing the productivity of crops have become particularly relevant at present. There was a need to create not only environmentally sustainable and safe technologies and techniques, but also the maintenance of farming systems as a whole. Increasing volumes of anthropogenic impact on the environment pose a challenge for scientists to assess and develop preventive measures and reduce negative consequences. The aim of the research is to develop effective ways to improve the basic conditions for the reproduction of soil fertility, increase the productivity of irrigated lands and obtain environmentally friendly products in a system of biologized crop rotation. The results of studies on improving the basic conditions for the reproduction of soil fertility, increasing the productivity of irrigated lands and obtaining environmentally friendly products in a system of biologized crop rotation are presented. The results obtained indicate that biologized crop rotations for rotation in the soil develop a positive deficit-free balance of humus in the soil. This was achieved mainly due to the cultivation of perennial grasses, legumes, and the use of biologization agents.

The study presents the results of the influence of irrigation on diagnostic indexes of plain-forest soils in the Samur-Divichi depression. The turbidity of stream and irrigation water significantly increases (4.92-5.65 g/l) in the period of rainy spring-autumn, while acute decreasing (0.95-1.76 g/l) in summer period in related to decreasing the amount of precipitation in mountainous territories. Weighted deposits are rich in humus and its water soluble part (0.032-0.043 %), total nitrogen (0.09-0.12 %), carbonates (3.8-5.3 %) and clay fraction. Weighted deposits of stream and irrigation water were found to be significantly influencing on morphogenetic diagnostics under irrigation condition which results in generating considerable cultured horizon (50 -60 cm), distinct indications of weighted deposits. In the fractional composition of humus of soils under forest prevails the first fraction of humic acids (14.5-18.1 %), and fulvoacids (11.0-15.0 %) while irrigated soils are represented by an increased content of humic acids (26.4-30.5 %). In arable horizon of irrigated soils total chemical composition the content of SiO2 (52.4-53.9 %) and in lower horizons maximum contents of CaO is 5.8-6.4 %.

The article is devoted to elucidating the threshold of soda toxicity and the amount of salts for different groups of microorganisms. As a result of studies, it was found that the microflora of soils is more resistant to soda than higher plants. However, with an increase in the concentration of soda, over 0.05 %, the number of ammonifiers, nitrogen fixers, and nitrifiers decreases. This may adversely affect the nitrogen regime of soils.It was also found that with a decrease in the amount of salts, the number of microorganisms increases. The development of microscopic fungi is subject to the same regularity, but in the variant with highly saline soil, they still continue to grow. An increase in the concentration of salts on their abundance has no significant effect. Denitrifying bacteria, like microscopic fungi, do not respond to an increase in salt concentration. An increase in soil salinity inhibits the growth of nitrogen fixatives and sulfate-reducing bacteria.

The paper presents the results of the impact of pesticides on the biological activity of soils, as well as an environmental assessment of the state of meadow-chestnut soil in 4^th crop rotation with the establishment of diagnostic indicators that reduce biological activity. Physical, chemical and biological properties of soils under crops of fruit-bearing crop rotation (corn, barley, rapeseed, soy) in the meadow-chestnut soil of the South-east of the Republic of Kazakhstan were studied. The results of chromatographic analysis of soil samples for the content of pesticides are shown. A study of meadow-chestnut soils by the degree of change in biological activity was conducted to determine their relative resistance to pesticide contamination. The obtained data revealed the degree of resistance of meadow-chestnut soils to pesticide contamination. The species of soil invertebrates, as well as soil enzymes that should be used as bioindicators for monitoring the contamination of meadow-chestnut soils with pesticides, were identified. The results obtained will expand knowledge about changes in the biological activity of meadow-chestnut soils under the influence of pesticide contamination in the ecosystems of South-East Kazakhstan.

The article presents the 2018-2019 research results on the effect of fallow predecessors, mineral, and organic fertilizers on spring triticale productivity in grain-fallow rotation in traditional and organic farming. Moisture accumulation in the soil before sowing spring triticale was dependent on the previous fallow period of perennial grasses and not the farming system. The melilot had the best productive moisture supply 135-136 mm of a meter soil layer regardless of the farming system. This preceding crop was also better supplied with mineral nitrogen, which accumulated intensively during the fallow period. Thus, before sowing, the amount of N-NO3 in the 0-40 cm soil layer was 17,5 mg/kg for traditional farming and 23,2 mg/kg for organic farming. Spring triticale productivity on average was higher on melilot variant than on wheatgrass variant regardless of the farming system in 2018-2019. Under traditional and organic farming, triticale productivity after melilot was 28,2 and 16,2 c/ha, and after wheatgrass it was 7,3 and 4,3 c/ha lower respectively. Spring triticale productivity under traditional farming on control variants for melilot and wheatgrass was 43 % and 76 % higher than with organic.