Chapter 19
The Effects of Plant Irrigation in Poland
Renata Ku´ smierek-Tomaszewska and Jacek ˙
Zarski
Abstract On the global scale, the main criterion for the advisability of using plant
irrigation is the climatic condition – in particular, the amount and distribution of
atmospheric precipitation. Therefore, irrigation is mainly applied in regularly or periodically arid climatic zones, because it is in these areas where food production would
not be possible without an additional water supply. It is different in Poland, placed
in the moderate climatic zone, where irrigation of plants is basically a contingency
procedure applicable to supplement the periodic shortages of rainfall in relation to the
water requirements of plants. It applies particularly to sandy soils with reduced water
retention capacity, situated in the central, lowland part of the country. Droughts in
Poland are weather phenomena unfavourable for agricultural production, appearing
quite often but irregularly. On the other hand, conditions of fully or excessively moisturized soils during growing seasons occur with a similar frequency to droughts. For
this reason, the irrigated area in Poland covers only about 73 thousand hectares.
The main indicators of the advisability of applying irrigation and considering its
role in domestic agriculture and water management are production effects, i.e., the
absolute yield increase obtained under the influence of this treatment in agricultural
raw materials production. Irrigation is the most economically effective treatment in
horticultural crop production, including orchards, vegetables, and berry plants. In
the case of agricultural plants, the indicators of profitability are much less – the only
positive financial effect may be obtained in the case of table potato production.
Keywords Water deficit · Supplementary irrigation · Drought · Irrigation
efficiency · Poland
R. Ku´ smierek-Tomaszewska (B) · J. ˙
Zarski
Department of Agrometeorology, Plant Irrigation, and Horticulture, University of Science and
Technology in Bydgoszcz, 6 Bernardy´ nska Str., 85-029 Bydgoszcz, Poland
e-mail: rkusmier@utp.edu.pl
J. ˙
Zarski
e-mail: zarski@utp.edu.pl
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Zeleˇ náková et al. (eds.), Management of Water Resources in Poland, Springer Water,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61965-7_19
379
The Effects of Plant Irrigation in Poland
Renata Ku´ smierek-Tomaszewska and Jacek ˙
Zarski
Abstract On the global scale, the main criterion for the advisability of using plant
irrigation is the climatic condition – in particular, the amount and distribution of
atmospheric precipitation. Therefore, irrigation is mainly applied in regularly or periodically arid climatic zones, because it is in these areas where food production would
not be possible without an additional water supply. It is different in Poland, placed
in the moderate climatic zone, where irrigation of plants is basically a contingency
procedure applicable to supplement the periodic shortages of rainfall in relation to the
water requirements of plants. It applies particularly to sandy soils with reduced water
retention capacity, situated in the central, lowland part of the country. Droughts in
Poland are weather phenomena unfavourable for agricultural production, appearing
quite often but irregularly. On the other hand, conditions of fully or excessively moisturized soils during growing seasons occur with a similar frequency to droughts. For
this reason, the irrigated area in Poland covers only about 73 thousand hectares.
The main indicators of the advisability of applying irrigation and considering its
role in domestic agriculture and water management are production effects, i.e., the
absolute yield increase obtained under the influence of this treatment in agricultural
raw materials production. Irrigation is the most economically effective treatment in
horticultural crop production, including orchards, vegetables, and berry plants. In
the case of agricultural plants, the indicators of profitability are much less – the only
positive financial effect may be obtained in the case of table potato production.
Keywords Water deficit · Supplementary irrigation · Drought · Irrigation
efficiency · Poland
R. Ku´ smierek-Tomaszewska (B) · J. ˙
Zarski
Department of Agrometeorology, Plant Irrigation, and Horticulture, University of Science and
Technology in Bydgoszcz, 6 Bernardy´ nska Str., 85-029 Bydgoszcz, Poland
e-mail: rkusmier@utp.edu.pl
J. ˙
Zarski
e-mail: zarski@utp.edu.pl
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Zeleˇ náková et al. (eds.), Management of Water Resources in Poland, Springer Water,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61965-7_19
379