Growth and Development of the Black Saxaul Depending on Tillage in Arid Conditions of Kazakhstan

Abstract

The study aimed to develop technology for the artificial cultivation of saxaul plantations with minimal labor and money, allowing for achieving a high survival rate, growth intensity, and crop development. The Samara State Institution for the Protection of Forests and Wildlife studied the effectiveness of creating forest plantations using various tillage methods. Four soil preparation systems served as experiment variants. The authors concluded that sweeping tillage to a depth of 40 cm was the best option for growing black saxaul forest plantations because it ensured high efficiency and increased plant growth and survival. Preliminary soil preparation increased saxaul plant height growth by 40.3-48.5% compared to the control variant without soil preparation. Mouldboard fall plowing to a depth of 25-27 cm and sweep tillage to a depth of 40 cm increased the survival rate of black saxaul plants by 13.5% and 16.8%, respectively, compared to the variant without soil preparation. The condition of forest plantations in variants with preliminary soil preparation corresponds to the C₁ and C₂ indices, whereas without soil preparation, the index decreases to C₃.