Abstract
The aim of the study was to develop effective methods of improving physical, chemical and biological properties of soil to increase its productivity and resistance to degradation under conditions of intensive agricultural use. The article presented a study of the impact of complex reclamation measures on the restoration of compacted grey soils in the conditions of irrigated lands of Zhambyl oblast. The experimental part included application of deep loosening and organic fertilizers, as well as water regime management using drip irrigation. The results of the study showed that ameliorative measures allowed reducing soil density by 15-20%, which provided improvement of its structure and increased water permeability by 300-400%. This created conditions for a more uniform distribution of moisture in the root-inhabited layer, which minimised surface run-off by 60-70% and prevented nutrient losses. The application of organic fertilizers increased the humus content by 15-20%, which improved the chemical composition of the soil and increased its ability to retain nutrients. Special attention was paid to the biological activity of the soil, which increased by 25-30% due to the activation of microbial communities. These changes improved the decomposition of organic matter and increased the availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for plants. As a result of application of complex measures, an increase in wheat and maize yields by 15-20% was observed, which confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed approaches. The made conclusions demonstrate that the use of deep loosening, organic fertilisation and drip irrigation in complex is an effective method of restoration of degraded grey soils. The results of the study have significant practical value and can be recommended for implementation in agricultural production in arid regions