Technological parameters of water regulation at the cultivation of highly productive feed crops on drained lands of the humid zone of Ukraine

Abstract

Goal. To develop technological parameters of water regulation for growing highly productive fodder crops (paise, amaranth, and fodder beans) on drained lands of the humid zone of Ukraine. Methods. Analytical and experimental on production plots of reclamation systems, mathematical modeling, and processing of experimental data. Results. Technological parameters of water regulation (norms of groundwater level and moisture in the root layer of the soil) for growing highly productive fodder crops (paise, amaranth, and fodder beans) on peat and mineral soils are determined. Permissible terms are established in which the reclamation system should ensure the removal of excess water and timely reduction of the groundwater level to the recommended indicators. It is determined that modern climate changes in the Polissia region of Ukraine are manifested in uneven distribution of precipitation during the growing season, abnormal jumps in average daily air temperature, and low night temperatures (<10°C) in summer, which affect agricultural production, especially the cultivation of heat-loving crops. Under such meteorological conditions, while ensuring optimal reclamation regimes, the yield of paise, which is a thermophilic crop by biological features, in 2019 for all fertilizer options was the lowest compared to the average yield for 2016–2018. Conclusions. In the conditions of climate change to ensure optimal parameters of water regulation and humidification measures on reclaimed lands of Polissia and Forest-Steppe of Ukraine in dry periods it is necessary to provide an accumulation of sufficient volumes of water with maximum use of the accumulative capacity of reclaimed territories and available resources of surface water sources.