Influence of soil water regime on cotton yield under mole irrigation in southern Russia

Abstract

Studies on the features of mole irrigation of cotton were conducted at Volgograd State Agrarian University in 2023 on light-chestnut soils of southern Russia. One of the central tasks of our research was to determine the influence of soil water regime on cotton yield under mole irrigation compared with sprinkling and drip irrigation. As a result, it was found that the main component of the cotton soil water regime was the irrigation rate (more than 50 %). Its value at an increase of pre-watering soil moisture from 70-70-65 to 80-80-75 % LWC under mole irrigation increased from 1040 to 1270 m3/ha. As a result, total water consumption increased from 2175 to 2332 m3/ha, which, compared with sprinkling and drip irrigation, was less by 430...673 and 146...245 m3/ha, respectively. It was also found that the highest cotton yields were obtained when moisture availability was maintained at 75-75-70% LWC. Among irrigation methods, at mole irrigation on this variant, the yield occupied an intermediate position of 1.87...3.18 t/ha; at sprinkling, it decreased by 0.04...0.21 t/ha, and at drip irrigation, it increased by 0.10. 0.18 t/ha.