Withholding of drip irrigation between transplanting and flowering increases the yield of field-grown tomato under plastic mulch

Experiments were conducted in summer of 2003 and 2004 to study the effect of withholding irrigation on tomato growth and yield in a drip irrigated, plasticulture system. Irrigation treatments were initiated at tomato planting (S0), after transplant establishment (S1), at first flower (S2), at first...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Agricultural water management 2007-02, Vol.87 (3), p.285-291
Main Authors: Ngouajio, Mathieu, Wang, Guangyao, Goldy, Ronald
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Biological and medical sciences
crop yield
Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General agronomy. Plant production
irrigation scheduling
irrigation water
Irrigation water use efficiency
Irrigation. Drainage
microirrigation
plant growth
plastic film mulches
Plasticulture
rain
soil water content
Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum
Tending. Growth control
Tillage. Tending. Growth control
Tomato
tomatoes
water use efficiency
Withholding drip irrigation
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Summary:Experiments were conducted in summer of 2003 and 2004 to study the effect of withholding irrigation on tomato growth and yield in a drip irrigated, plasticulture system. Irrigation treatments were initiated at tomato planting (S0), after transplant establishment (S1), at first flower (S2), at first fruit (S3), or at fruit ripening (S4). An additional treatment received only enough water to apply fertigation (FT). Withholding drip irrigation for a short period (S2–S3) increased tomato marketable yield by 8–15%, fruit number by 12–14% while reducing amount of irrigation water by 20% compared to the S0 treatment. Withholding drip irrigation also increased irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). Similar trends were observed in 2003 and 2004 despite large differences in rainfall, heat units, and tomato yield between years. This suggests that if soil moisture is adequate at transplanting, subsequent withholding of irrigation for 1–2 weeks after tomato transplanting may increase yield while reducing the amount of irrigation water.
ISSN:0378-3774
1873-2283
DOI:10.1016/j.agwat.2006.07.007