The impact of grazing systems on the productivity and structure of pasture vegetation in the sandy and foothill deserts of southern Kazakhstan under different management practices

Abstract

The basis of pastoral animal husbandry, mainly sheep farming, is the vegetation of semi-desert and desert pastures in the arid zone. In modern conditions, the rational use of pastures is of particular importance in solving the problems of multilateral implementation of biologization factors. Pastoral fodder production, like no other branch of crop production, has the multilateral opportunity to maximize the use of renewable biological factors and natural resources, one aspect of which is to increase the longevity of pasture grasses. Obtaining high-quality pasture feed by extending the use of pastures to 20 years or more due to the self-renewal ability of perennial grasses is an urgent task. The article presents the results of assessing the yield and structure of pasture grass stands in the sandy and foothill deserts of southern Kazakhstan, depending on the system of their use. Geobotanical surveys were conducted, and the seasonal productivity of pasture grass stands was determined. It was found that in the autumn season, the forage yield of grass stands in the sandy and foothill deserts, regardless of the system of their use, is one-third of their gross yield.