Optimizing irrigation scheduling using a drip system to enhance water use efficiency in tomato cultivation

Abstract

Irrigation scheduling with drip irrigation is a crucial management technique for ensuring optimal soil moisture, thereby promoting plant growth, production, and economic return while enhancing water efficiency. Tomato crops, a mass consumer product grown worldwide, face significant challenges in the Sylhet region due to inefficient water management. To ascertain the best watering schedule for tomato crops based on evapotranspiration, a field experiment was carried out utilizing a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with six treatments and four replications. The six treatments include two irrigation frequencies (daily basis, F1 and every alternate day, F2) with three water doses W1, W2, W3 (i.e., 50%ETc, 75%ETc, 100%ETc). The Penman-Monteith method was used to estimate crop water requirements, and water for farming was applied according to designated schedules. Data analysis using SPSS 23 revealed that the impacts of irrigation frequency and water doses on plant growth, fruit yield, and water use efficiency were significant, except for stem diameter. The plant height, number of fruits, number of flowers, yield, and water use efficiency were increased with increasing water doses and decreased with decreasing water doses. The maximum yield was gained by increasing irrigation frequency at F1 and water dosage at W3, but the highest WUE was obtained at a lower irrigation frequency under the treatment F2, with the highest water dose at W3. The study concluded that the irrigation scheduling F1W3 was the best in balancing tomato productivity, fruit quality, and WUE in this study. The findings of this study will help local farmers make sustainable decisions about their irrigation methods.

Keywords

• Irrigation scheduling
• Drip irrigation
• Water use efficiency
• Tomato
• Yield

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