the influence of waterregimes of soil and plant protection systems on potato productivity in the lower volga region

The research was carried out in order to determine the influence of soil water regimes and plant protection systems on the formation of biometric indicators of potato plants and the productivity of commercial tubers. The work was carried out in 2021–2023 in the Volgograd region. The scheme of the field experiment involved the study of the following options: moisture regime in the soil layer of 0…0.4 m (factor A) – not lower than 70 % MMC (A₁ ); not lower than 80 % MMC (A₂ ); potato plant protection system (factor B) – biological protection system (B₁ ); integrated protection system (B₂ ); chemical protection system (B₃ ). The experiment was carried out in planting Gulliver potatoes on light chestnut heavy loamy soil. The longest growing season of potato plants was noted against a back ground with a moisture regime in the soil layer of 0…0.4 m not lower than 80 % MMC, which, depending on the protection system, varied from 87 (2021) to 102 (2023) days. When maintaining the pre-irrigation moisture threshold in the soil layer of 0…0.4 m at least 70 % MMC, the duration of the growing season of potato plants was lower and varied over the years of research from 85 (2021) to 98 (2023) days. The highest yield of commercial tubers in the experiment was achieved when using biological protective agents in combination with the soil water balance at the level of 80 % MMC at a depth of 0…0.4 m. On average, over three years, the value of this indicator was 26.9 t/ha, which was 5.1 t/ha more than with the use of chemical plant protection products.