Irrigation strategies in production of cherry tomatoes under water scarcity conditions

Abstract

ABSTRACT Controlled water deficit in the phenological phases of cherry tomato can be used without significantly impairing crop yield. The objective was to determine the coefficients of sensitivity to water deficit in cherry tomatoes and to understand the effects of this deficit in agronomic variables and water use efficiency for different irrigation strategies based on phenological stages. The experimental design used was randomized blocks in a split-plot scheme, with four replicates. The primary treatments distributed in the plots were as follows: control without induction of water deficit (W1) and induction of water deficit in the vegetative stage (W2), in the flowering stage (W3), in the fruiting stage (W4), in the maturation stage (W5), and in all phenological stages (W6). The secondary treatments comprised two cherry tomato cultivars, orange and red, placed in the subplots. Water deficit was established at 50% of crop evapotranspiration. Cherry tomato is recommended for production in semiarid regions owing to their adaptability to controlled water deficit based on the coefficient of sensitivity to water deficit, which assists in the management of water resources for irrigation and the maintenance of crop productivity. The vegetative stage is recommended for the deficit irrigation strategy. However, water deficit should not be implemented in the flowering stage, which is considered the most critical stage for the application of water deficit in both cultivars.