Articles
Processing tomatoes under deficit irrigation in southern Italy: yield and water use efficiency
Article number
1445_4
Pages
21 – 28
Language
English
Abstract
In water-limited environments, the irrigation of processing tomato should aim at limiting crop water shortage, increasing water use efficiency and optimizing fruit yield.
The present study evaluates deficit irrigation strategies in a 2-year (2021 and 2022) field experiment in southern Italy.
In the control treatment, the irrigation schedule planned by the farmer was applied; in the deficit irrigation treatments, seasonal irrigation depths were reduced through driplines with drippers at different flow rates.
Irrigation frequency (every 1-2 days) and duration (about 6 h) were the same in all treatments.
The long shape tomato, Taylor hybrid, was used.
In the first year the trial was set up in a field that had never been cultivated with tomato; in the second year in a field where tomato was cultivated every 3 years.
At harvest, the different components of crop biomass and some qualitative characteristics of the fruits were measured.
In the irrigation schedule of the farmer (FARM treatment), seasonal irrigation depths were 546 mm in 2021 and 752 mm in 2022. In 2021, a seasonal irrigation depth of 438 mm was applied to the deficit irrigation treatment, i.e., the FARM irrigation depth was reduced by 20% (RED-20 treatment). In 2022 two deficit irrigation treatments were applied, reducing the FARM seasonal irrigation depth by 30% (RED-30, 540 mm) and by 40% (RED-40, 452 mm). The higher rainfall in 2022 with respect to 2021 (153 vs. 66 mm) and the different level of soil fertility in the two experimental plots, influenced production levels (higher in the first than in the second year) and the WUEs of total dry biomass and fresh fruit (with higher indices in the first year). Comparing the deficit irrigation schedules with the FARM one, in 2021 fruit yield was significantly higher in FARM, but the WUEs were not.
In 2022 there was no difference in fruit yield among treatments, while the WUEs differed (highest in RED-40, intermediate in RED-30 and lowest in FARM).
The present study evaluates deficit irrigation strategies in a 2-year (2021 and 2022) field experiment in southern Italy.
In the control treatment, the irrigation schedule planned by the farmer was applied; in the deficit irrigation treatments, seasonal irrigation depths were reduced through driplines with drippers at different flow rates.
Irrigation frequency (every 1-2 days) and duration (about 6 h) were the same in all treatments.
The long shape tomato, Taylor hybrid, was used.
In the first year the trial was set up in a field that had never been cultivated with tomato; in the second year in a field where tomato was cultivated every 3 years.
At harvest, the different components of crop biomass and some qualitative characteristics of the fruits were measured.
In the irrigation schedule of the farmer (FARM treatment), seasonal irrigation depths were 546 mm in 2021 and 752 mm in 2022. In 2021, a seasonal irrigation depth of 438 mm was applied to the deficit irrigation treatment, i.e., the FARM irrigation depth was reduced by 20% (RED-20 treatment). In 2022 two deficit irrigation treatments were applied, reducing the FARM seasonal irrigation depth by 30% (RED-30, 540 mm) and by 40% (RED-40, 452 mm). The higher rainfall in 2022 with respect to 2021 (153 vs. 66 mm) and the different level of soil fertility in the two experimental plots, influenced production levels (higher in the first than in the second year) and the WUEs of total dry biomass and fresh fruit (with higher indices in the first year). Comparing the deficit irrigation schedules with the FARM one, in 2021 fruit yield was significantly higher in FARM, but the WUEs were not.
In 2022 there was no difference in fruit yield among treatments, while the WUEs differed (highest in RED-40, intermediate in RED-30 and lowest in FARM).
Authors
M. Rinaldi, F. Ciavarella, P. Garofalo, A. Tedeschi, P. Di Tommasi, M. Riccardi, F. De Lorenzi
Keywords
Solanum lycopersicum L., deficit irrigation, fruit yield, drip irrigation
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