The influence of fertilisation and crop rotation structure on soil moisture availability and water consumption by winter wheat

Purpose. To investigate the influence of fertilisation and crop rotation on the accumulation of moisture in the soil and water consumption by winter wheat crops. Меthods. Long-term field and analytical. Results. Research data on the effect of fertilisers and crop rotation on soil moisture supply and water consumption by winter wheat is presented. It was found that the use of organic–mineral fertilisation systems in grass and grain crop rotation ensured the best conditions for the accumulation of moisture in the soil in the spring and its effective use by winter wheat crops. Conclusions. Cultivation of winter wheat in a grass and grain crop rotation resulted in the highest amount of moisture accumulation in the soil in the spring. The reserves of productive moisture in one- and one-and-a-half-meter layers of leached chernozem in the spring were higher than in grain and row crop rotation by 15–25 mm, and in row crop rotation by 9–19 mm. In grass and grain crop rotation, winter wheat used soil moisture most effectively under the conventional organic-mineral fertilisation system. Applying N53Р42K42 + 6.7 t of manure per 1 ha of crop rotation ensured the water consumption by winter wheat of 282 m3/t, which was 141 m3/t less than in the control without fertilisers. Application of N53Р42K42 per 1 ha of crop rotation + by-products was determined to be effective: moisture consumption by winter wheat decreased by 110 m3/t compared to the control without fertilisers for an absolute indicator of 313 m3/t. In terms of crop rotation, the organic-mineral fertilisation systems reduced water consumption 1.5–1.7 times compared to the control without fertilisers.