Optimal Irrigation Scheduling for Greenhouse Tomato Crop (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) in Ecuador

Tomato crop is grown worldwide and is considered a mass consumer product. In Ecuador, tomato growers face two major issues: water scarcity and water mismanagement, which cause a reduction in the framers' gross income and ecosystem services. This paper is aimed at finding an optimal irrigation scheduling in greenhouse tomato crop to achieve a balance among production, fruit quality and water use efficiency. Thus, two experiments were settled. In the first experiment, four water doses (80, 100, 120 and 140% ETc) and two irrigation frequencies (one and two irrigations per day) were compared. The second experiment evaluated the two best water doses of the first one (100 and 120% ETc) and four irrigation frequencies (one and two irrigations per day, one irrigation every two days, one irrigation every three days). Each experiment monitored the variables for tomato production (plant height, stem diameter, fruits per plant, yield) and tomato quality (pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity). The study concluded that water doses affected more than irrigation frequency to fruit quality and production. The dose of 100% ETc, applied in one irrigation per day, is suggested to obtain a balance between production, fruit quality and water use efficiency.

Automated summary

This study conducted experiments on the irrigation scheduling of tomato crops and found that water doses had a significant impact on fruit quality and production, while irrigation frequency had a smaller effect. It is recommended to use 100% of the potential evapotranspiration, with irrigation once per day, to achieve a balance between production, fruit quality, and water use efficiency.