The paper discusses the problems of further improving the design of drainage and irrigation systems in the Non-Chernozem zone, taking into account the great variety of its natural-climatic and reclamation conditions. The authors propose some new ways of developing advanced technical solutions based on the division of the zone into reclamation subzones: mid-taiga, south- taiga, deciduousforest and forest-steppe ones. In the mid-taiga subzone, where the amount of precipitation exceeds that of evaporation, the main trend is the development of methods for accelerated diversion of excess moisture, improving the thermal regime of the soil and maintaining the groundwater level within the drainage limits. In the south-taiga zone, the amount of precipitation on average corresponds to that of evaporation, but years with excessive moisture tend to alternate with the years characterized with insuffi cient moisture. During the crop formation, it is necessary to improve the drainage and irrigation systems in order to expand their functional capabilities in terms of the economical use of precipitation, the accumulation of drainage water and the reduction of irrigation rates by applying low-volume irrigation methods, as well as regulating the water-air regime of the soil and the surface air layer. In deciduous-forest and forest-steppe zones, preference should be given to the development of stationary irrigation systems and recycling of drainage water, based on new designs for its accumulation, as well as to the use of advanced irrigation systems, drip irrigation and micro sprinklers.