The aim of the research is to determine the influence of resource-saving options for mineral nutrition of vegetables (pumpkin, red beet, carrots) and potatoes at different levels of soil moistening on crops yield index change. Two-factor experiments were conducted at federal State Unitary enterprise “Semikarakorskoe” in 2012–2013. Three mineral nutrition backgrounds were studied: the total fertilizer rate (NPK), the half rate (0.5 NPK) and the variant without fertilizers (factor 1). Soil water regime levels are introduced by an intensive irrigation regime and minimal (rainfed) moistening conditions (factor 2). Applied agrotechnics corresponded to zonal recommendations. The standard practices were used during the field experiments. It was found that the intensive irrigation option promoted the 1.5–3.3 times increase in vegetable crops and potatoes productivity during the research years in comparison with the minimum (rainfed) moistening conditions. With intensive irrigation, high indicators of extra products produced per 1 kg of applied fertilizers were noted. In potatoes the half rate of fertilizers provided 26.37 kg of additional products per 1 kg of fertilizers, and at a full rate it was 24.22 kg. In vegetable crops, these figures were respectively for pumpkin – 31.7 and 33.4 kg/kg, red beet – 29.9 and 27.2 kg/kg, carrots – 22.6 and 23.2 kg/kg. A much higher return of fertilizer products under the conditions of intensive irrigation was noted. When potatoes were cultivated, the maximum efficiency of fertilizer use was observed in the full rate option (4.25 times higher than under rainfed conditions). In vegetable crops, the greater effect of fertilizers from irrigation was noted in the option 0.5 NPK, in which additional products were obtained: by 3.71 times in pumpkin cultivation, by 1.95 times in red beet, and by 3.7 times in carrots more than in the variant with a low and rainfed level of soil moistening.
Keywords: potatoes, pumpkin, table beet, carrots, fertilizer background, hudration level, yield, growth, use efficiency, return.
