EFFECT OF SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE TRICKLE IRRIGATION ON YIELD AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY OF TOMATO CROP UNDER DEFICIT IRRIGATION CONDITIONS

Abstract

The aim of this study to compare the effect of full irrigation and deficit irrigation, using surface and subsurface trickle irrigation on yield of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum. L.)and the irrigation water use efficiency. A field experiment was carried out on a clayey soil at the Experimental Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shames University at Shoubra El Khaymah, Qalyubia Governorate, Egypt. The daily crop water requirement for tomato was calculated by Penman-Monteith equation. The experiment was consisted of four irrigation water levels (T1:100%ETc, T2:85% ETc, T3:70% ETc and T4:55% ETc) accompanied with two kinds of trickle irrigation (S: surface and SS: subsurface). Deficit irrigation was applied during the whole growing season. The results showed that highest fruit yield (71.88 t ha-1) was recorded for T1 under subsurface trickle irrigation (SSTI) while the lowest fruit yield (45.77 t ha-1) was recorded for T4 under surface trickle irrigation (STI). The highest value for irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) was found to be 18.80 kg m-3 for the T4 under SSTI treatment. Finally it has been concluded that under conditions of water scarcity, especially in the Arab region, which suffers from water scarcity, can be used subsurface trickle irrigation technologies together with deficit irrigation strategies to improve irrigation water use efficiency and tomato yield under open field condition.