DIFFERENTIATION OF THE MOISTENED SOIL LAYER DEPTH AS AN ELEMENT OF WATER CONSERVATION AND PRECISION IRRIGATION IN CORN GROWING

Purpose: to develop a technology for corn irrigation with differentiation of the moistened soil layer in accordance with the root system growth dynamic. Materials and methods. The study was based on the methods of field experiment and comparison. Moistening technologies were tested on the mid-early corn hybrid of domestic selection Khoper 255 MV. Field experiments were carried out on the territory of the land use of the Oroshaemaya experimental station of the All-Russian Research Institute of Irrigated Agriculture according to generally accepted methods in agricultural science, on zonal light chestnut soils with the presence of an erosive slope of southern exposure with a slope of the irrigated field surface of 0.0021. The groundwater depth is below 12.0 m. Results. A comparison of the results obtained using traditional corn irrigation elements with the data from the application of the developed technologies shows that technologies with differentiation of the moistened soil layer depth as the root system grows allow for fresh irrigation water savings of 15.4–19.2 %. The analysis of the developed technology, confirming the significant difference in the obtained yield values, led to the assertion that, within the range of the hydrothermal coefficient observed over the years of research from 0.30 to 0.82, with the planned grain yield of the mid-early maturing corn hybrid Khoper 255 MV of 13.0 t/ha, it is possible to obtain it consistently at a level of 13.06–13.72 t/ha with the mineral fertilizer application at a dose of N₂₂₈P₁₀₀K₁₈₀. Conclusions. Transitioning irrigated agriculture to the accounting and regulation of each element of crop cultivation technology, in our case, corn, will ensure significant resource conservation and increase the competitiveness of agricultural products.