Fruit yield and quality of drip-irrigated tomato under deficit irrigation

Abstract

The competition for limited amount of world fresh water is increasing at a fast rate. The agricultural sector is the major water user and also the most inefficient. As a result, the economic return from a unit of water is the lowest for agricultural sector. Therefore, in the wake of dwindling water availability, it is becoming imperative to look for ways of maximizing yield and quality of produce per unit of water. This is especially important in countries like Ethiopia, where there is severe water shortage in the arid and semi-arid areas. In this study, a field experiment was conducted at Melkassa Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia to study the effects of moisture stress on the yield and quality of two tomato cultivars; Melka Shola and Melkassa Marglobe used as salad. The two tomato cultivars were exposed to four irrigation water deficit levels expressed as percentages of potential evapotranspiration (ETc) as: 0%ETc, 25%ETc, 50%ETc, and 75%ETc deficit. The total plant biomass decreased with stress level while the fruit dry matter increased. As a result, the harvest index (fruit dry matter weight/plant dry matter weight) was increased with stress level. At a given stress level, the harvest index of Melka Shola was higher than that of Melkassa Marglobe. Both the number and size of tomato fruits were found to decrease with moisture stress. The incidence of sun-scald and blossom end rot was higher in the more stressed plants (75%ETc) deficit. The total soluble solid (TSS) content was significantly affected by irrigation treatments. The total soluble content was increased with stress level while the fruit water content was decreased. The fruit total soluble content (TSS) of the stressed plants was also significantly different between the tomato cultivars. Melkassa Marglobe cultivar had higher total soluble solute content than Melka Shola cultivar. The higher total soluble solute content of Melkassa Marglobe might be the reason why this cultivar is preferred by consumers for use as a salad. It has been observed also that small animals and birds fed more on this cultivar than on the Melka Shola cultivar.

Deficit Irrigation and Partial Root-Zone Drying Techniques in Processing Tomato Cultivated under Mediterranean Climate Conditions

“…However, the available literature presents some discrepancies, linked to the cultivars used and/or to the phenological period of application of deficit irrigation treatments [7]. Moreover, most of these studies are in greenhouses or under controlled conditions [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Notwithstanding, there is still little understanding on the mechanisms of PRD in different tomato cultivars grown under open field conditions, and any agro-climatic parameters (e.g., air temperature) can influence the plant response.…”

Tomato grafting impacts on yield and fruit quality under water stress conditions

“…The reduction in yield and its components with increasing water stress levels in this study was consistent with the findings of previous studies. Birhanu & Tilahun (2010) and Zhang et al (2016) found a reduction in the weight and quantity of fruits in plants exposed to water stress. Water stress reduces the number of fruits and flowers, and fruit set percentage of a plant (Pek et al, 2014).…”

Effect of Water Quality and Deficit Irrigation on Tomatoes Yield and Quality: A Review

“…Wahb-Allah and Al-Omran [14] reported as negative effect of deficit irrigation was more obvious when coupled with salt stress and concerning crop developmental stage it was indicated as fruiting and vegetative growth stages were the most tolerant to deficit irrigation whereas, the reproductive stage was the most sensitive one Application of deficit irrigation in crop production is an approach to save water in areas of water shortage and longer drought during production period so as to maximize water productivity. Regulated deficit irrigation saves substantial amount of irrigation water and increases water use efficiency quoted [19,20]. Besides, deficit irrigation reduces production costs, conserves water and minimizes leaching of nutrients and pesticides in to ground water [21] and mostly practiced in areas where water scarcity exists.…”

“…The authors included as total soluble content was increased with stress level and varies among cultivars while the fruit water content was decreased: Melkassa Marglobe cultivar had higher total soluble solute content than Melka Shola cultivar and the higher total soluble solute content of Melkassa Marglobe might be the reason why this cultivar is preferred by consumers for use as a salad [19].…”