Optimising water and nitrogen management for greenhouse tomatoes in Northeast China using EWM−TOPSIS−AISM model

Abstract

Unreasonable irrigation and nitrogen application reduce tomato yield and waste resources. This study explored the effects of water conservation and nitrogen reduction on tomato yield, dry matter, quality, water productivity and nitrogen use efficiency in Northeast China. Experiments were conducted during 2020 and 2021 at three irrigation levels (85–95 %, 75–85 %, and 65–75 % θFC) and three nitrogen application levels (120, 180, and 240 kg hm−2). The optimal water and nitrogen supply patterns were obtained by establishing a newly evaluated Entropy Weight Method−Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution−Adversarial Interpretive Structure Model (EWM−TOPSIS−AISM). The results showed that the amount of irrigation and nitrogen application significantly affected tomato quality (P ≤ 0.5). Proper deficit irrigation improved tomato quality. Reducing the nitrogen application rate improved nitrogen use efficiency but decreased the tomato yield. Increasing the amount of irrigation increased tomato yield and nitrogen use efficiency. Tomato yield was negatively correlated with water productivity (R= −0.25 in 2020 and R= −0.37 in 2021) and nitrogen use efficiency (R= −0.30 in 2020 and R= −0.20 in 2021). The evaluation results showed that the best water and nitrogen supply mode for our experiment was irrigation at 75–85 % θFC and nitrogen application rate of 180 kg hm−2. The study could promote the sustainable production of greenhouse tomatoes in Northeast China.