The influence of straw and soil cultivation depth on water supply and sugar beet yield

Abstract

Goal. To determine the influence of straw, the depth of soil cultivation and fertilization on the water regime of typical heavy-loamy black soil, the use of moisture by plants, and the productivity of sugar beets. Methods. Field — to establish the influence of mineral fertilizers, straw, and the depth of soil cultivation on the moisture supply of typical heavy-loamy black soil, the productivity, and the efficiency of using moisture with sugar beets. Results. The study of the effectiveness of the use of straw and methods of soil cultivation to improve the water regime of the soil and increase the productivity of sugar beets was carried out in the temporary field experiment of the Ivaniv Experimental Selection Station of the Institute of Bioenergy Crops and Sugar Beets of the NAAS during 2023–2025. The soil under research was a typical heavy-loamy black soil. It was found that in conditions of unstable moistening, deep plowing by 30–32 cm and the addition of straw to mineral fertilizers contributed to an increase in spring reserves of productive moisture in the soil, improving the water supply of plants and increasing their productivity. Conclusions. At deep plowing by 30–32 cm for sugar beets and the introduction of 5 t/ha of straw + N90P90K90 + micro fertilizer Dobryn (2 l/ha), in the spring the largest reserves of productive moisture were formed in the soil layer of 1 m — 126 mm, which were 19 mm more than during shallow cultivation to a depth of 12–14 cm. The introduction of straw had a negligible effect on soil moisture supply in the spring. The use of 5 t/ha of straw + N90P90K90 + micro fertilizer Dobryn (2 l/ha), and deep plowing at 30–32 cm provided the highest productivity of sugar beets: the yield of root crops was 41.9 t/ha, sugar content — 19.2%, sugar collection — 7.96 t/ha. Compared with shallow cultivation to a depth of 12–14 cm under these conditions, the yield of sugar beets increased by 4.1 tons/ha, and the sugar harvest by 0.93 tons/ha. With the introduction of straw against the background of deep plowing, sugar yield increased by 0.21 t/ha. This system of fertilization and deep plowing by 30–32 cm provided the lowest moisture consumption for the formation of 1 ton of crop — 316 m3, which was 7 m3 less than for shallow tillage of soil by 12–14 cm. The introduction of straw against the background of deep plowing contributed to a decrease (by 10–29 m3) in moisture consumption for the formation of 1 ton of crop.