Аңдатпа
The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of cultivating perennial forage grasses in combination with cover crops under the arid steppe conditions of the West Kazakhstan region. The experiment was carried out at LLP «Ural Experimental Agricultural Station» where barley and safflower were used as cover crops. Field observations, combined with phenological studies, demonstrated that cover crops significantly contribute to soil moisture retention, the formation of a favorable microclimate, improvement of soil structure, and increased survival rates of perennial grasses. During the study, the main growth and development stages of each crop -including germination, tillering, stem formation, heading, flowering, and full maturity-were recorded, along with the timing of their onset, duration, and relationship with prevailing agroclimatic conditions. In the barley variant, soil moisture at harvest reached 51.1 mm, representing a 17% increase compared to the control without cover crops. Survival of perennial grasses without cover ranged from 90–96%, while with barley it increased to 96-98%. Moreover, barley effectively suppressed weeds, reducing their density to 1.5-4.9 plants/m² and biomass to 34-112 g/m². Over the two-year experimental period, average yields were 9.80 c/ha for barley and 9.95 c/ha for safflower. Barley also demonstrated high forage quality, with feed units reaching 14.27 c/ha, digestible protein 0.90 c/ha, and metabolizable energy 13.51 GJ/ha. Safflower was distinguished by its high fat content (29.71%) and fat yield (2.95 c/ha), making it valuable for energy-dense forage production. The results confirmed that the use of barley and safflower as a partial cover crop is an effective agrotechnical practice to increase productivity, improve feed quality, increase the survival rate of perennial grasses and stabilize agroecosystems in the dry steppe zone. Based on these findings, the integration of cover crops into forage production systems is recommended for implementation under practical agricultural conditions.