Search for a command to run...
Relevance . The relevance of the study is driven by the increasing water scarcity and the need to intensify agricultural production, particularly in the non-chernozem zone of Russia. Eggplant, being a crop with high demands for moisture and nutrition, presents a pertinent case for investigating water use efficiency under drip irrigation systems. The objective of this research was to quantify the patterns of total water use and the water consumption coefficient of eggplant under drip irrigation, as influenced by different levels of pre-irrigation soil moisture and mineral fertilizer application. Methodology . Field experiments were conducted in the southern part of Moscow Oblast from 2022 to 2024. The study investigated three levels of pre-irrigation soil moisture (70%, 80%, and 90% of Field Capacity) and two levels of mineral nutrition (no fertilizer and N150P90K140). Total water use was determined using the water balance method, with soil moisture monitored by tensiometers. Results . The findings indicate that the primary sources of moisture were irrigation water (35.5–65.2%) and precipitation (27.7–53.2%). Increasing the pre-irrigation moisture threshold from 70% to 90% on a fertilized background resulted in a rise in total water consumption from 3219 to 3777 m³/ha. The peak average daily water use (29–39 m³/ha/day) was recorded during the budding-to-fruiting phases. The water consumption coefficient ranged from 80 to 104 m³/t. The optimization of irrigation and fertilization regimes: maintaining 90% on an unfertilized background reduced by 9.8%, while fertilizer application against a background of 70% reduced it by 10.8%. The highest water use efficiency (84 m³/t) was achieved by combining a high moisture supply (90%) with intensive mineral fertilization (N150P90K140). This agronomic practice secured water savings of 17.5% compared to the control. Conclusion . The results substantiate the expediency of adopting eggplant cultivation technologies based on maintaining pre-irrigation soil moisture levels at 80–90% in combination with balanced mineral nutrition.