SPRINKLING IRRIGATION OF POTATOES IN SUMMER IN THE NIZHNIY POVOLZHYE REGION
The materials presented in the article are aimed at solving the problem of increasing the yield and efficiency of potato production, which is currently considered to be the priority one in the development of agriculture in the Russian Federation. The hydrothermal coefficients were used to assess the heat and moisture supply of the area under study, which was characterized as dry and had to be necessarily irrigated. The conditions for moistening the potatoes plantation with atmospheric precipitation have been considered. The regularities of the soil water regimes formation in potato plantations and the corresponding irrigation regimes have been substantiated. As a result of the study it was established that the yields of tubers of Golubichna and Roco potato varieties, of domestic and Dutch selection, depending on the soil water regimes, varied within the limits of 33.46-42.22 t/ha, which was somewhat lower than the productivity of the Zhuravinka cultivars of the Belarusian selection. The Nevsky and Ivan-da-Marya potato varieties of domestic and Dutch selection were distinguished by the lowest yield of tubers.