Yield, economic and bioenergy assessment of potato cultivation depending on the irrigation method

Abstract

Purpose. To investigate the impact of irrigation methodson the yield, economic and bioenergy efficiency of tablepotato cultivation in the Ukrainian Polissia region. Methods.Short-term field study, analytical and statistical methods ofexperimental data processing. Research results. Modernirrigation methods are considered as a key factor in theintensification of potato cultivation agrotechnologies in thePolissia region of Ukraine. Field experimental studies wereconducted on irrigated land under production conditionsat Agrofirma Kyivska LLC in the Bucha district of the Kyivregion during 2023–2025. The results confirm that the irrigationmethod and water supply method have a significantimpact on yield formation, economic and bioenergy parametersof agricultural technology. It is logical that without irrigation,the lowest yield of commercial tubers was obtained –43,4 t/ha, while the “irrigation” factor increased this indicator by 1,5 times – to 65,15 t/ha. The increase in yield under dripirrigation with periodic and pulsed water supply was statisticallysignificant: up to 66,4 t/ha and 70,4 t/ha, respectively.Under conditions of sprinkler and subsurface drip irrigation,60,8 t/ha and 62,7 t/ha were obtained, respectively. Highereconomic indicators (conditional net profit, cost of growing1 ton of potatoes, level of production profitability) were providedby drip irrigation with a pulsed water supply mode.Analysis of the bioenergy efficiency coefficient indicates ahigh level of energy efficiency in potato cultivation for allirrigation methods (2,94–3,60). Potato cultivation was moreefficient with sub-surface drip irrigation, where the bioenergyefficiency coefficient was 3,73. Conclusions. Experimentalstudies have shown that irrigation methods and water supplyregimes have a significant impact on the yield, economicand bioenergy indicators of agricultural technology for growingtable potatoes in the Polissia region of Ukraine. A keyaspect of the research is the result of the intensification ofthe technological process through the introduction of irrigation:regardless of the amount and regime of precipitation,the yield increases by 1,5 times compared to the control.It has been established that the introduction of drip irrigationwith a pulsed water supply regime is more expedientfor potatoes in terms of economic efficiency. This optionensures the most optimal water and nutrient regimes for thesoil, when the curve and dynamics of crop evapotranspiration(ETc) are as close as possible to the regime of vegetativeirrigation in a daily cycle.