Assessments of the agro-climatic resources of Northern Kazakhstan are urgently needed in the face of climate change and increasing threats to food security in the world, and they can provide valuable information for specialists in the field of agriculture. To assess the agro-climatic conditions of Northern Kazakhstan, the following agro-climatic indices were used: heat availability, moisture availability, and aridity of the growing season for the period 1991–2023. The research results rendered it possible to build maps of the spatial distribution of agro-climatic indicators, and five agro-climatic zones, ranging from “moderately humid moderately warm” in the north to “very arid moderately hot” in the south of Northern Kazakhstan, were identified. Recommendations were developed with respect to the agro-climatic zoning of main crops, taking into account the climatic resources of Northern Kazakhstan. The data obtained will be used for the strategic planning of the agricultural crop industry in Northern Kazakhstan.

In nitrogen (N) -limited agricultural systems, a high microbial immobilization of applied fertilizer-N can limit its availability to plants. However, there is scarce information on the effect of the form of fertilizer used on the plant–microorganism competition in clay-rich soils under a severe semi-arid climate. In a field study, we investigated the wheat–microorganism competition after the direct application of NH₄¹⁵NO₃ closely to seeds in arable fields in North Kazakhstan, documenting the effect of the use of liquid versus granular fertilizer and mini-tillage versus no-tillage. Our results barely showed any fertilizer-N translocation in the soil. Plants outcompete microorganisms for fertilizer-N during the vegetation period. Microbial-to-plant ¹⁵N ratios revealed a predominant fertilizer-¹⁵N uptake by plants. The strong competition for N was mainly related to the placement of the fertilizer close to the seeds. Moreover, the long time interval between fertilization and sampling enhanced the competition for N, meaning that previously microbially immobilized N became available to plants through the death of microorganisms and their subsequent mineralization. The fertilizer distribution between microorganisms and plants did depend on the form of fertilizer used, owing to the good solubility of granular fertilizer. The smaller fertilizer-N uptake under the no-tilling condition was probably due to the more intense soil compaction, which caused a reduction in plant growth. The application of fertilizer close to the seeds and the small fertilizer translocation during the vegetation period ultimately resulted in a high level of plant N being derived from the fertilizer.

The features of agrometeorological conditions in the natural zones of the North Kazakhstan region during the period from 1991 to 2021 are investigated. The dependence of the spring wheat yield on total precipitation, the sum of effective air temperatures, moisture supply and aridity indices of the growing season is established. The results of the study will be useful for researchers and practical agronomists when solving the problems of rational use of spring wheat crops. Keywords: precipitation, air temperature, moisture availability, aridity, growing season, spring wheat

The article presents the results of a study of the mechanisms of influence of spring wheat cultivation technology on changes in soil fertility and the influence of tillage methods on the productivity of agricultural landscapes. A comparative assessment of the water physical properties of the soil, the productivity of spring wheat, depending on the main methods of tillage, is given. Humidity indicators on the stubble predecessors were 11.6 16.2 mm higher than for steam. The reserves of productive moisture in the soil for the steam predecessor have an indicator of 33.4 mm, which is more than for the stubble predecessor. In the studied agrotechnical variants, the height of the snow cover and the water reserves in the snow prevailed in the minimum treatment system. There were no noticeable changes in snow density by technology. In the southern chernozems, before sowing spring wheat, the content of nitrate nitrogen in the 0-40 and 0-60 cm layer was 13.8-18.2 mg/kg. The yield of spring wheat in the system of minimal soil treatment for stubble and steam precursors shows good results. The yield was 27.1 c/ha for the steam predecessor, 26.3 c/ha for the stubble.

One of the factors contributing to the enhanced environmental sustainability of agroecosystems in Northern Kazakhstan is the introduction of intensive farming systems adapted to local climatic conditions. The application of zero-tillage technologies (hereinafter referred to as No-Till) offers several advantages, including the preservation of soil fertility. However, in Northern Kazakhstan, these technologies are currently used on relatively limited areas due to insufficient research and the long adaptation period required for their effective implementation. The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) stocks under long-term No-Till management in two crop rotation systems. The study was conducted on ordinary chernozem soils of Northern Kazakhstan from 2014 to 2024, with monitoring of soil agrochemical, microbiological, and agrophysical properties, and was primarily exploratory in nature. The research was carried out at the experimental station (North Kazakhstan Region, Republic of Kazakhstan), located in the dry-steppe zone. The results showed that the long-term application of No-Till technology in crop rotation systems increased the soil humus balance by an average of 0.4–0.6%, whereas a decline in this indicator was observed under conventional farming systems. These findings were supported by correlation analysis of the interactions among the studied factors.