Changes in the hydrologic regime impose great challenges for grain production. We investigated the impact of dry and wet extremes on the recent losses of crops in Severo-Kazakhstanskaya Oblast (SKO), where 25% of Kazakhstan’s wheat is produced. We reconstructed the Palmer Drought Severity Index (June–August PDSI) and average grain yields (with an explained variance of 48% and 44%, respectively) using five tree ring width chronologies. The extended history of the moisture variability and yields of spring wheat, oats, and barley shows the strong impact of hydrology, rather than the heat, on the grain production. We defined three distinctive hydrologic regimes in SKO: (1) 1886–1942, (2) 1943–1977, (3) 1978–2023. The early regime had fewer drought events, including some that covered a single year. Their duration increased up to 3 years in the second period. The latest regime is an extreme mode of hydrologic variability with events abruptly switching from extremely dry to extremely wet conditions (called “whiplash”). The 21st century regime signifies that the intensified and prolonged decade-long drought transitioned into pluvial condition. The new regime created sizable instability for grain producers. This crop yield reconstruction denotes the potential of the tree-ring proxy for understanding the impact of climate change on the agriculture and food security of Central Asia.

One of the main challenges in modern animal husbandry in North Kazakhstan is ensuring an uninterrupted supply of sufficient fodder crops. This research, conducted from 2019 to 2023, aimed to develop strategies for cultivating environmentally sustainable fodder crops capable of providing a stable fodder crop base under the changing climatic conditions of the North Kazakhstan region. The studies included analysis of air temperature and precipitation data as well as monitoring of fodder grass mixtures within a green fodder conveyor system. Different sowing dates for fodder crops and mixtures were selected for the development of the conveyor system. The range of experimental variants included fodder crops and their mixtures from various botanical families. The experiment involved both perennial (alfalfa and festulolium) and annual (corn, pea, sunflower, Sudan grass, oats, and rapeseed) crops. The highest green mass yields were achieved by the following variants: fodder crops of corn + pea—74.40 c/ha; mixtures of annual legume–grass crops in the pea + oats variant of the first sowing date—43.64 c/ha; Sudan grass + pea—45.72 c/ha; mixtures of perennial grasses in the second utilization term of alfalfa + festulolium—64.9 c/ha; and rapeseed sown at the first sowing date—46.61 c/ha. In terms of crude and digestible protein content, the best among the annual grass variants was the mixture of Sudan grass and pea (crude protein—33.59 g/kg, digestible protein—24.5 g/kg), and the best among the perennials was the variant of the first utilization term (crude protein—50.42 g/kg, digestible protein—38.2 g/kg). Regarding metabolizable energy content, the annual crop variant of corn + pea had a yield of 1.92 MJ/kg, and in the perennial variant, the mixture of alfalfa and festulolium in the first utilization term had a yield of 2.68 MJ/kg. Such an approach to creating green fodder conveyors can be crucial for developing effective strategies for adapting agriculture to climate change, including the selection of promising fodder crops and optimization of their placement. The results obtained can contribute to enhancing the productivity and sustainability of agricultural production in the North Kazakhstan region.

The study presents an assessment of the quality of feeds (silage and haylage) and biochemical parameters of blood in dairy cows under experimental farm conditions. Four feed samples (two alfalfa haylage samples, a grain haylage, and corn silage) and 12 blood samples from lactating cows were analyzed. All examined feeds met regulatory requirements for fermentation and nutritional characteristics: optimal moisture content, predominance of lactic acid over acetic acid, low butyric acid content (<0,1%), reduced ammonia nitrogen levels, and absence of spoilage signs. The biochemical profile of serum samples was within physiological norms: total protein 75-79 g/L, glucose 2.4-2.8 mmol/L, urea 3.2-3.9 mmol/L, and liver enzyme activity (ALT, AST) slightly exceeded reference values. The obtained data indicate stable metabolic processes and a normal physiological state of cows when fed high-quality silage and haylage. It was concluded that the nutritional value of the prepared feeds fully meets the cows’ requirements without causing metabolic disorders: the rations are balanced, as evidenced by normal blood biochemical constants and high milk productivity.

Аннотация Научные исследования и практический опыт показывают, что при улучшении сенокосно-пастбищных угодий, их продуктивность резко повышается, а себестоимость пастбищного корма примерно в 3-4 раз ниже, чем получаемых в полевом кормопроизводстве. Применение этих мероприятий имеет особое значение для Северного Казахстана, где климатические условия и почвы наиболее благоприятны для роста и развития многолетних культур, что позволяет создавать высокоурожайные сеяные травостои длительного продуктивного долголетия, что значительно может повысить эффективность кормовых угодий. В данной статье приведены результаты исследований для бесперебойного кормления животных высококачественным зеленым кормом, с целью которого был разработан зеленый конвейер с учетом чередования культур и их смесей, разных по срокам созревания, при этом соблюдались оптимальные сроки их скашивания от 5-30 дней. При этом в смесях обязательно наличие бобового компонента для повышения сбалансированности получемых кормов. Также обосновывается создание сенокосно-пастбищного конвейера из однолетних и многолетних кормовых культур для производства богатых энергетической и протеиновой питательностью кормов в условиях степной и лесостепной зоны Северного Казахстана. Результаты исследования показали, что высокая урожайность отмечена в посевах кукурузы, сорго-суданкового гибрида и сорго – 145,1; 112,3 и 110,7 ц/га соответственно. Наименьшая урожайность зеленой массы среди вариантов пастбищного использования была у костреца прошлых лет – 45,7 ц/га. Среди вариантов сенокосного использования наименьший урожай сформировали варианты гороха – 49,7 ц/га и смесь вики с овсом – 58,2 ц/га.  

The study is devoted to determining the factors affecting the volume of agricultural production, the ability to meet the food needs of populations, as well as the environmental efficiency of production, defined as the ratio of the number of kilocalories produced by the agricultural sector to the amount of greenhouse gasses it emits. Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) were chosen as an example. They are characterized by similar natural conditions (mainly dry, continental climate, and the dominant role of permanent grassland in agricultural land use), as well as a common economic history (as former republics of the USSR). As shown in this study, land productivity and environmental efficiency of production depend on natural factors, while the actual ability to meet each nation’s food needs depends on human activity, including primary measures taken to improve environmental efficiency within natural limits.

Low forage productivity of natural grasslands remains a major limitation for sustainable livestock production in the forest–steppe zone of Northern Kazakhstan, highlighting the need for high-yield, locally adapted forage systems. This study evaluated nine forage agrophytocenoses, including perennial grasses and legume–grass mixtures, established in 2024 and assessed over two growing seasons on leached chernozem soils. Plant height, stand density, and biomass yields were quantified at optimal harvest stages, with statistical differences tested using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD (p < 0.05). Legume-containing agrophytocenoses consistently outperformed natural grass cover and grass monocultures in canopy development and biomass accumulation. The highest productivity was achieved in Lolium multiflorum + Medicago sativa (I+A), Medicago sativa + Festuca arundinacea (A+TF), and Onobrychis viciifolia + Festulolium + Phleum pratense (S+F+T), reaching up to ~19.66 t ha⁻¹ green biomass and ~5.24 t ha⁻¹ dry matter. In contrast, Agropyron cristatum monoculture yielded minimally during establishment, while ryegrass mixtures with annuals declined in the second year. Optimized legume–grass agrophytocenoses represent the most productive and agronomically reliable strategy to enhance forage supply and improve environmental resilience in Northern Kazakhstan.