THE BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GRAIN PRODUCTION AND SILAGE FROM CORN (ZEA MAYS)

Improvement of technology of cultivation of maize in the Northern Kazakhstan was based on the principles of soil-protective arable farming and harvesting silage was the main purpose. The advanced technology with the use of early-maturing hybrids (FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) 150-199) on the basis of minimizing of the technological cycle has been developed in the North Kazakhstan Research Institute of Agriculture in the period from 1987 to 1997. The average output of absolutely dry substance for this period was 4.8 t/ha, that is 45.1% higher than in the previous period (1977-1986). However, the advanced technology based on the cultivation of the only silage crop (monoculture) cannot exclude a sharp decrease of the yields in droughty years and in years when the summer is short and cool. The silage conveyor as an alternative to monoculture of maize was substantiated by the selection of crops with different biological requirements for growth conditions. The yields of the silage conveyor crops (sunflower-maize-sweet sorghum) were 5.14 t/ha (absolutely dry substance), that is 0.73 t/ha higher than the yields of monoculture of maize in the period from 2007 to 2009.