ASSESSMENT OF SNOW ACCUMULATION AND JUSTIFICATION OF PARAMETERS OF STUBBLE COULISSES IN THE ARID STEPPE OF NORTHERN KAZAKHSTAN

The main limiting factor for increasing yields in the conditions of the arid steppe of Northern Kazakhstan is moisture. The accumulation of moisture during winter precipitation for plants in arid conditions in the initial stage of the growing season was a serious production problem. For four years, the accumulation of snow and the amount of water in the snow were compared over the backgrounds of ordinary stubble, tall stubble left after stripper header (continuous combing) and stubble coulisses. Research methods included field observations and mathematical modeling. It has been established that the water reserves in the snow depend on the height of stubble coulisses, as well as the density of snow in the coulisses and in between the spaces. Studies of snow accumulation on stubble coulisses, continuous combing and ordinary stubble showed that the density of snow between the coulisses is 9-29% higher than the density in the coulisses and the density of snow between the coulisses is 25-63% higher than the density in the stubble or continuous combing. The explanation of this phenomenon was the hypothesis that the dispersal of snow blizzards occurred between the coulisses due to this, snow blocked this space with high density. Field experiments indicated an intensive decrease in the depth of snow with increasing distance between the coulisses. By mathematical modeling, it was found that for stubby coulisses the following parameters are rational: the distance between the coulisses in snowy winters is 5...14 m; in the snowless 5...7 m, the width of the coulisses is 1...1.5 m. It has been established that in snowy winters the water reserves in the snow are slatted coulisses with rational parameters by 25.8...32.2 mm (13...41%) higher than on the background of continuous combing; 68.0...99.3 mm (2.1...3.1 times) higher than the stubble background. In the winters with little snow, the water reserves in the snow of stubble coulisses with rational parameters are 18.5 mm higher (by 34%) than on the background of continuous combing; 51.9 mm (3.4 times) higher than the stubble background.