The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the soil tillage system on soil enzymatic activity. The performed investigations, employing two soil tillage systems: classical (ploughing) and simplified (no-tillage), were carried out on Luvisols and Arenosols differing typologically, with regard to their kind and species. The activity of the following five enzymes was determined in soil samples: dehydrogenases, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, urease and protease. The applied enzymes tests turned out to be good indicators differentiating the examined soil objects depending on the employed tillage system. The employment of the simplified tillage system stimulated significantly the activity of the analysed enzymes irrespective of the soil type. This effect was particularly apparent in the top layer (0-10 cm) of the soil. An exceptionally wide range of activity was obtained for dehydrogenases indicating the usefulness of this group of enzymes for the evaluation of changes in the soil environment under the influence of the soil tillage system. The observed activity stimulation of the examined enzymes was accompanied by advantageous changes in soil chemical conditions.

The study on water erosion in the catchment basin of the Jeleni Brook was carried out in the years 1995–1999. The catchment of the Jeleni Brook has complex relief, receives frequent pre-cipitations and thus is more threatened by water erosion. Soil cultivation and water from quickly melting snow can also be the factors affecting soil erosion. Waters from the melting snow produce rills of the following dimensions (mean values): width from 11.5 to 13.6 cm, depth – from 6.4 to 7.1 cm and length – from 39 to 112 m. The mean values of soil losses vary from 0.5 to 2.02 t·ha–1.

Erosion caused by intensive storm precipitation occurs less frequently but makes much higher soil losses. One of the registered incidents shows that 51.6 t·ha–1 (4.5 mm of soil layer) can be washed out from the area of 0.66 ha. Combined effect of outwashing and ploughing in lower parts of slopes created new forms of relief such as agricultural terraces (escarps). Agricultural terraces assume the shape of scarps up to 2 m high and of different length (e.g. 150 m) along with the land use border-lines between e.g. forest and field or field and grassland.

Agriculturally used soils within this catchment need protection based mainly on agrotechnical measures or on alteration of land use. Some areas should be afforested.

The accumulation of moisture from autumn and winter precipitation in poorly draining soil for plants in arid conditions during the initial stage of the vegetation period in the northern region of Kazakhstan was a severe production problem. Research methods included theoretical and experimental studies. In theoretical studies, the area of the treated surface by a chain harrow is determined. Then, the design of an improved harrow is proposed, including how the tooth chain tillage tools are positioned. Either as a “single action disc harrow” type with mounting four teeth on each chain link, or as a serial harrow with the tooth chain tillage tools located in a “diamond-shaped” double-action scheme with two teeth on each chain link. Experimental studies show that an improved harrow steadily performs the early spring harrowing process with a quality that meets normative requirements. In doing, so the working capacity is 4–5% higher than a serial harrow with a 4–5% lower fuel consumption. Furthermore, it is revealed that the early spring soil harrowing performed by tooth chain harrows allows the loss of productive moisture in the spring pre-sowing period by 1.8–1.9 times to be reduced compared to the untreated background.