DIGITAL APPROACHES TO SOIL WATER REGIME MANAGEMENT UNDER DRIP IRRIGATION OF BERRY CROPS IN THE FOREST-STEPPE CONDITIONS OF UKRAINE
Abstract
The purpose of the article is to examine modern scientific approaches to improving the efficiency of soil water management in berry crops cultivation in the Forest-Steppe region of Ukraine through the use of digital technologies for monitoring and automating irrigation, as well as to assess their impact on optimizing water consumption, ensuring stable crop yields, and promoting the rational use of irrigation water in drip irrigation systems. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of modern tools for remote monitoring of plant and soil conditions, sensor systems for determining moisture content, models for planning irrigation regimes, and information-analytical platforms for decision support. Research methods. The research utilized methods of systematic analysis, generalization, comparison, and interpretation of results from domestic and international scientific publications on soil water management for berry crops. An assessment was conducted of the effectiveness of using various types of soil moisture sensors, satellite vegetation indices (NDVI), crop evapotranspiration calculation models based on the FAO-56 methodology, as well as automated irrigation control systems based on IoT technologies. A comparative analysis was conducted of water consumption, water productivity, and yield of garden berry crops under different irrigation regimes and levels of digitalization of technological processes. Research results. It has been established that the application of digital approaches to soil moisture management increases the efficiency of irrigation water use by 20–35%, reduces non-productive moisture losses, and stabilizes the moisture content of the root zone during critical phases of plant development. The feasibility of using sensor-based soil moisture monitoring systems, satellite crop condition monitoring, and software models for irrigation planning to improve the accuracy of determining irrigation timing and rates has been substantiated. It has been shown that the integration of digital tools into drip irrigation technology contributes to increased water productivity of berry crops plantings, optimization of water consumption regimes, and reduced energy costs for irrigation. Conclusions. A synthesis of the research results indicates the high effectiveness of using digital technologies for monitoring and managing soil water regimes in berry crops drip irrigation systems under the conditions of the Ukrainian Forest-Steppe. The use of sensor systems, satellite vegetation indices, and automated irrigation control algorithms ensures increased resource conservation, stable yields, and improved environmental efficiency of berry crop cultivation technologies. The implementation of these approaches should be considered one of the key directions for improving modern water resource management systems in berry cultivation. The results obtained can be used in developing recommendations for the digitalization of irrigation management for berry crops on farms in the Forest-Steppe region of Ukraine.
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