Efficiency of winter precipitation accumulation measures in climatic conditions of the North Kazakhstan region

The study aimed to establish the patterns of formation of soil water resources due to winter precipitation using various agrotechnical methods in the steppe zone. The research methodology included field trials of various agronomic backgrounds with and without snow retention, followed by analysis of winter precipitation accumulation, changes in soil water regime and spring wheat productivity. The average snow depth in the variants with snow retention increased by 26.6-32% compared to the control without snow retention. Soil moisture reserves before sowing increased by 27.1-31.6% on fallow land and by 16-30% on stubble plots. Winter precipitation assimilation was most efficient on stubble backgrounds, where the moisture increase ranged from 21.8 to 37.5% compared to the initial values. The yield of spring wheat in areas with snow retention exceeded the control figures by 0.15-0.47 t/ha, reaching maximum values of up to 2.76 t/ha on the backstage pairs. The correlation coefficient between total water consumption during the growing season and yield was 0.83, indicating a high influence of the water regime on productivity. The established relationship between the amount of moisture in the snow and yield was moderate, with a coefficient of 0.42, especially in stubble plots. The obtained results confirm the high efficiency of snow retention technologies for increasing the water supply of crops and the sustainability of yields in the steppe conditions of Northern Kazakhstan. Their use is recommended to optimise the system of agrotechnical measures in the face of increasing climate instability