Dynamics of the soil moisture and the soil moisture reserves when growing grain sorgo in Kalmykia

Abstract

In the semi-desert zone of Kalmykia in 2016–2018 field experiments were conducted on growing in the unirrigated conditions of a promising grain-foraging culture – grain sorghum in three ways of basic soil treatment (drying plowing, flat-cut processing, disking). Analysis of the results of field observations of humidity and reserves of productive moisture in the soil at the depth of the root layer during vegetation allowed to justify the choice of varieties of grain sorghum and to identify the advantages of flat-cut soil treatment in saving moisture and its rational use by plants in the unirrigated conditions.