This article is devoted to assessing the level of soil contamination by heavy metals at the municipal solid waste landfill located in the city of Astana. During the study, chemical analysis was conducted on soil samples collected from adjacent areas within the administrative zone of Astana, 6 km along the Alash highway, near the landfill managed by LLP "Eco Polygon Astana". Mobile forms of heavy metals were identified and environmentally classified by their hazard levels. The presence of mobile forms of mercury, zinc, and arsenic (hazard class I), as well as copper, nickel, cobalt, antimony, chromium, and lead (hazard class II) was established. The degree of soil contamination was assessed using the hazard coefficient (Ko) and the total pollution coefficient (Zc), followed by comparison with the maximum permissible concentrations. The results showed that heavy metal concentrations in the landfill area and surrounding zones exceed acceptable levels, with the environmental hazard level classified as "hazardous" and "slightly hazardous". The obtained data allow for a comprehensive assessment of the landfill's environmental impact, soil conditions in the surrounding environment, and the potential harm to nature.

The article discusses the results of studies on the degradation of soil and vegetation in the mountainous areas of Ile Alatau and the Uzynkara Range. The data of geobotanical studies of high-mountain and mid-mountain pastures of Ile Alatau and the Uzynkara Range showed the dominance of vegetation degradation over other processes. The soils of the mountainous areas are characterized by the thickness of the humus horizon, high gross humus content, large reserves of calcium and magnesium and a small phosphorus content. As our studies have shown, the thickness of the humus horizon of the studied soils is 40-60 cm, they are distinguished by a high fertility potential, but this potential is limited by such factors as soil trampling and the degree of pasture degradation. At the same time, with an increase in pasture degradation, there is a decrease in the humus layer, a decrease in the content of humus and nutrients in the soil. The assessment of plant communities as indicators of pasture degradation in the study area showed that due to excessive and unregulated grazing, the vegetation cover has been subjected to anthropogenic degradation. There is a transformation of the species composition of plants, a decrease in the productivity of pasture forages, soils, which in turn leads to a deterioration in the mechanical properties of soils: an increase in density in the 0-10 cm layer increases by 0.11%, valuable silt particles are washed away in the upper part of the profile, the content of water-stable aggregates and their water resistance decreases. 

Soil salinization remains a critical constraint for cotton cultivation in the southern regions of Kazakhstan, particularly in the Turkestan region. This study aimed to develop a model quantifying the combined influence of soil salinity levels and mineral fertilizer doses on cotton yield and fiber quality. Field trials were conducted on light gray soils with varying degrees of salinity on the production fields of the "Sabyr" farm, Maktaaral district. Standard agrochemical methods assessed soil properties, crop yield, and fiber quality. Results demonstrated that mineral fertilizers enhanced cotton productivity across all salinity levels, with the most significant yield response observed on slightly saline soils. The highest yield (6.49 t/ha) was recorded with N150P100K80 on slightly saline soils, while medium saline soils produced 5.41 t/ha under the same treatment. Phosphorus-potassium application without nitrogen (P100K80) resulted in the lowest yield gains. Regression modeling revealed a negative relationship between excessive nitrogen and potassium application and yield (Y), although their combined interaction partially offset this effect. Notably, the interaction between nitrogen and salt content (NtS) also negatively affected yield. The regression model demonstrated high reliability (R = 0.940), confirming its predictive accuracy. Correlation analysis indicated a moderate to strong relationship between potassium nutrition and key fiber quality indicators. Increasing potassium doses improved tensile strength (r = 0.61), maturity factor (r = 0.48), and fiber length (r = 0.62), while negatively affecting micronaire (r = -0.38), fiber fineness (r = -0.60), and water column resistance (r = -0.60). Fiber quality also correlated positively with total salt content in the arable layer (r = 0.37–0.61). Economic analysis showed that N150P100K80 was most profitable on slightly saline soils (1352.5 thousand KZT/ha), whereas N100P150K80 was optimal on medium saline soils (1035.8 thousand KZT/ha). These findings underline the importance of site-specific nutrient management under saline conditions.

Kazakhstan’s apple industry, despite favorable semi-arid conditions in Southern Kazakhstan, depends on 57% imports. This study, conducted from 2019 to 2022 at the “Kentau” LLP orchard in Turkestan, assessed the efficacy of fertigation integrated with the “FertiSmart” mobile application to enhance apple production on gray-brown soils. Utilizing “FertiSmart”’s comprehensive 16-factor soil analysis, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery, tensiometer data, and the Dynamic Immobilization and Mineralization Adjustment (DIMA) coefficient, the fertigation approach yielded significant improvements. Results demonstrated a gross yield of 30.6 t/ha, 93.9% marketability, 24.1% Brix sugar content, and 78.5 N fruit firmness, outperforming soil incorporation (24.7 t/ha, 81.5% marketability) and control treatments (13.6 t/ha, 62.2% marketability). Additionally, fertigation reduced nutrient leaching by 20–30% (3.24 kg/ha N compared to 7.82 kg/ha for soil incorporation), increased water use efficiency by 5–10% (50.8 kg/m³ vs. 39.4 kg/m³), and maintained humus content at 2.12%. The “FertiSmart” application further optimized resource use, cutting fertilizer costs by 15–20% and enhancing nutrient uptake efficiencies (92.3% N, 48.6% P, 87.4% K). This scalable, technology-driven model promotes productivity, soil health, and environmental sustainability, aligning with Kazakhstan’s objectives for food security and sustainable agriculture.

New and resource-saving tillage technologies meet the requirements of soil and environmental agriculture to a greater extent than traditional ones (soil structure disturbance, degradation, erosion, etc. are excluded). In agricultural culture, including in irrigated agriculture of irrigated regions of Kazakhstan, new, non-traditional approaches based on the cultivation of field crops are required, ensuring the achievement of potential opportunities for varieties and hybrids of cultivated crops, with the aim of rational use of land and water resources, as well as preserving and increasing potential soil fertility. The article provides long-term experimental data on the advantages of resource-saving technologies and their positive impact on the quality and cost of crop production, which compete with previously used traditional technologies. The purpose of our research is to determine the effectiveness of tillage, the seeding rate of different varieties of winter wheat and the dose of fertilizers to obtain a high yield of grain with the best qualities. In the conditions of semi-secured bogara in the south-east of Kazakhstan, plowing to a depth of 20-22 cm and minimal tillage turned out to be the optimal sowing period for the second with a seed sowing rate of 3 million. germinated seeds per hectare and with the addition of 60 kg of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. The optimal sowing period with zero tillage was the third with a seed sowing rate of 3 million. germinated seeds per hectare and with the addition of 60 kg of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers.

Very few studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of micronutrient fertilizers, complex fertilizers with chelated forms of microelements, biofertilizers and their combinations in field crops in the south-eastern region, and almost none on oil flax. Their use in agricultural production of the region is considered as an additional reserve in obtaining high and stable yields of agricultural crops. In this regard, we conducted experimental studies on light-chestnut rainfed soil, located in the zone of insufficient moisture of the Almaty region. The purpose of the research was to study the effect of a tank mixture of traditional and innovative fertilizers with chelated forms of microelements of the brand 13-40-13; 12-12-36; 3-11-38, biofertilizer Terra Sorb Complex for pre-sowing seed treatment and foliar feeding and their combinations on the productivity of oil flax. The weather conditions of this year during the vegetation period of oil flax were favorable in terms of soil moisture and with low temperature conditions of the atmospheric air. The number of seeds per capsule was the best in the variant with background + 4 foliar treatments with tank mixture with MACRO+ME and in the variant with background + 4 foliar treatments with NPK with ME (brands: 13-40-13; 12-12-36; 3-11-38) and exceeded the variant without fertilizers (control) by 2.1 pcs. in both cases. Among the studied types, forms, methods, terms and combinations of fertilizers, the greatest weight of 1000 seeds was ensured by the use of 3 and 4 foliar treatments with tank mixture of macrofertilizers with microfertilizers and 3 and 4 foliar treatments with complex fertilizer with chelated forms of microelements of the brand: 13-40-13; 12-12-36 and brand: 13-40-13; 12-12-36; 3-11-38 against the background of mineral fertilizers and pre-sowing treatment with biofertilizer Terra Sorb Complex at 7.2 g. The highest yield of flax seeds of the Karabalyk 7 oilseed variety was provided by the background option + 4 foliar treatments with a tank mixture with MACRO + ME, the background option + 4 foliar treatments with NPK with ME (brands: 40-13-40; 12-12-36; 3-11-38), the background option + 3 foliar treatments with MACRO + ME + BIOfertilizer, the background option + 4 foliar treatments with NPK with ME + BIOfertilizer at 0.89 t/ha, and the increase relative to the control was         0.17 t/ha or 19.2%. When determining the quality of the oil flax crop, it was found that the best fat indicators were obtained with the use of 4-fold foliar treatment with complex fertilizer with chelated forms of microelements of the brand: 40-13-40; 12-12-36; 3-11-38 against the background of fertilizers - 42.0%, and protein - when using 4 foliar treatments with a tank mixture with macro- and microfertilizers against a fertilized background - 28.4%.

The efficiency of micronutrient fertilizers, particularly boron and zinc, on the productivity of domestic intensive sugar beet hybrids in the southeastern region has not been sufficiently studied. In modern agronomic technologies for sugar beet cultivation, achieving high yields is impossible without the application of micronutrients through foliar feeding alongside macronutrients. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of boron and zinc fertilizers, as well as their combinations, on the productivity of new domestic sugar beet hybrids. The highest accumulation of boron was observed in the Bolashak hybrid at the row closure stage. This was recorded at 47.0 mg/kg when YaraVita Bortrac 150 (1.5 L/ha) and YaraVita Zintrac 700 (0.5 L/ha) were applied together. The maximum zinc concentration was also observed in the Bolashak hybrid at the same growth stage, reaching 37.0 mg/kg under the same fertilization conditions. Boron was excreted in greater quantities compared to zinc, and the root crops of the Bolashak hybrid accumulated more boron than those of the Abulkhair hybrid. The highest recorded value was observed in the Background+B+Zn₁₀ treatment, reaching 647.5 g/ha. Zinc excretion was most pronounced in the leaves of the Abulkhair hybrid, reaching 384.3 g/ha under the application of YaraVita Bortrac 150 (1.5 L/ha) and YaraVita Zintrac 700 (0.5 L/ha). For the formation of 1 ton of root crops and leaves, the Bolashak hybrid required 1256.3 g/ha of boron and 727.2 g/ha of zinc, while the Abulkhair hybrid required 1153.9 g/ha and 751.2 g/ha, respectively. In this variant, the highest root yield of the Bolashak hybrid was 82.0 t/ha, with a sugar content of 18.1% and a sugar yield of 14.8 t/ha. The highest yield of the Abulkhair hybrid was 80.9 t/ha when YaraVita Bortrac 150 (1.5 L/ha) and YaraVita Zintrac 700 (0.5 L/ha) were applied. The sugar content in the Background+B+Zn₁₀ and Background+B+Zn₅ treatments was 17.9%, while the highest sugar yield (14.4 t/ha) was recorded in the Background+B+Zn₁₀ treatment.