Agroecological assessment of the effectiveness of irrigation of tomato using electrolyzed water

Abstract

Aim. The purpose of the research is to quantify the agroecological response of plants and the bio‐productivity of crops to irrigation using electrochemical water treatment technology. Material and Methods. The study was carried out using the tomato (Solanum lycoparsicum, hybrid Pink Paradise F1) in a protected ground culture as an example. The experimental site is located in the dry‐steppe zone of light chestnut soils of the Lower Volga region (48о56΄46˝N44о51΄45˝E). The magnitude of the electrochemically initiated shift of the redox potential of irrigation water and the options for combining the use of electrochemically treated water were taken as variable experimental factors. Results. It was established that the magnitude of the electrochemically initiated shift of the redox potential of irrigation water has a predominant effect on the estimated biometric indicators: the coefficient of variation of the indicators for this factor reached 9.5‐38.0%. The influence of the method of using electrochemically treated water is estimated at 4.12‐10.24%, but regarding net assimilation the significance of this factor is not statistically proven. The highest estimates of linear growth – 2.21 m, maximum leaf area – 43.4 thousand m2/ha, accumulated biomass – 13.39 t/ha, photosynthetic potential – 3617 thousand m2 days/ha and tomato biological yield – 140.0 t/ha, obtained by the combined use of a catholyte for vegetation and fertilizer irrigation with an electrochemically initiated shift of the redox potential (‐500) mV. Conclusion. The studies have proved the statistical significance of the biometric response of tomato plants to the use of water with electrochemically altered redox potential for vegetation and fertilizer irrigation.