Precision farming systems are being intensively introduced into the agricultural production of the Republic of Kazakhstan. According to developers and dealers, precision farming can reduce the cost of fertilizers, seeds, PPA, fuel and lubricants by 20% on average. At the same time, the efficiency possibilities resulting from the utilization of precision farming systems under certain conditions have not been fully studied. The aim of this work was to assess the influence of parallel and automatic driving systems on the technical, operational and economic indicators of units for sowing, chemical processing, harvesting, and autumn deep tillage using comparative tests in the northern region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. For these purposes, comparative tests were conducted for a seeder for sowing wheat; self-propelled sprayer for chemical weeding of wheat and flax; combine harvester for harvesting wheat; and unit for deep, subsurface tillage in Northern Kazakhstan. The comparative tests determined the impacts of GPS navigation systems, automatic and parallel control systems, and seeding control systems on agricultural, energy, operational, technological and economic performance of units.

The authors have shown that the tillage specific constructive weight affects the working width and penetration ability. In order to increase the working width of the tillage implement, and therefore its performance and economic efficiency as well as its penetration ability, it is preferable to minimize the value of this indicator. It is taken into account that the implement specific structural weight will depend on the actual number of working tools and frame elements per unit of the working width. (Research purpose) The aim of the work is to develop a mathematical model to determine the minimum allowable and actual specific structural weight depending on the tillage implement operating conditions and its structural design and technological scheme. (Materials and methods) The research methodology is based on mathematical modeling, abstraction, analysis, synthesis, and principles of classical mechanics. (Results and discussion) The proposed mathematical model for determining the minimum allowable and actual specific structural weight was developed. The model takes into account the physical and mechanical characteristics of the cultivated soil, the number of working bodies and frame elements per unit of the tillage implement working width. It was found out that an increase in the working width makes it possible to reduce the implement actual specific structural weight, all other things being equal. It was proposed to use the mathematical model for designing tillage tools, carrying out force calculations and comparative assessment of metal consumption, depending on the installation and location of working bodies with different working widths. (Conclusions) It was found out that with the soil ultimate compressive strength of 100,000 pascal, the implement minimum allowable structural weight should be 334 kilograms per meter to ensure the tillage tool penetration to a given depth. Under the considered conditions, the implement actual specific structural weight will have a minimum value at the working width of 0.7 and 0.8 meters – 375 kilograms per meter and 335 kilograms per meter, respectively.

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The authors carried out field tests of differentiated fertilization system "Agronavigator-Dozator" installed on a cultivator-fertilizer for intra-soil application of granular mineral fertilizers in the conditions of Northern Kazakhstan. (Research purpose) To determine the effect of differentiated fertilization system on agrotechnical, energy, operational and technological and economic indexes of the cultivator-fertilizer in field conditions. (Materials and methods) The authors carried out agrochemical soil survey according to the officially approved method. They made an electronic task map. They used the methodology for determining the conditions of field tests, agrotechnical, energy, operational and technological and energy assessments that met the current regulatory documentation requirements. Field tests of differentiated fertilization system were carried out during the second flat-cut processing of the steam field with simultaneous intra-soil granular mineral fertilizers application. (Results and discussion) The authors found out that the use of differentiated fertilization system "Agronavigator-Dozator" reduced the actual dose of application from 95 to 40 kilograms per hectare. It was determined that the presence of a parallel driving mode in the system under study reduced the amount of overlap of adjacent aisles, thereby increasing shift productivity - from 4.25 to 4.32 hectares per hour, unit energy consumption decreased from 88.1 to 86.6 megajoules per hectare, and the specific fuel consumption decreased from 14.41 to 14.16 kilograms per hectare. The economic effect of the use of differentiated fertilization system "Agronavigator- Dozator " amounted to 630.6 thousand rubles per year. (Conclusions) The authors proved that differential fertilization system "Agronavigator-Dozator" effect the actual dose of fertilization, which decreased by 57.6 percent. It was found that a decrease in the overlap of adjacent aisles increased shift productivity, reduced specific fuel consumption and specific energy consumption by 1.7 percent. It was calculated that the total sum of money was reduced by 36 percent due to the use of differentiated fertilization system "Agronavigator- Dozator".

The article presents the results of evaluating the effectiveness of the use of modern electronic driving systems for machine-tractor units in the precision farming system and comparative tests of a new cultivator-fertilizer for shallow non-moldboard cultivation and subsoil differentiated application of mineral fertilizers in the fallow field of southern chernozems of the northern region of Kazakhstan. In the Republic of Kazakhstan, near and far abroad, technical means for subsoil application to a depth of more than 14 cm with a differentiated application system for nonmoldboard processing are not produced. Therefore, such work has not been carried out, which does not allow evaluating the effectiveness of the use of modern electronic systems for driving aggregates and differentiated application of fertilizers for flat-cutting cultivation on the southern chernozems of the northern region of Kazakhstan. The purpose of the tests is to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of modern electronic driving systems for machine-tractor units in the precision farming system.