Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

EFFECTS OF WATER SAVING IRRIGATION STRATEGY ON YIELD AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY WITH GROWTH PARAMETERS OF GREENHOUSE TOMATO

R.D. Randhe, M. Hasan and R.V. Salunkhe

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in the greenhouse at the Centre for Protected Cultivation Technology (CPCT) of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India to study the yield response, WUE and crop growth of tomato (variety GS-600) under variable regulated deficit irrigation and partial root zone drying. The experiment was carried out in 2011-12 and 2012-13 during August to May with five irrigation treatments: (1) FULL, irrigation treatment where the full amount of irrigation water estimated from Class-A pan evaporation data, was applied to all sides of the plant root zone; (2) RDI30 and (3) RDI50 which received 30% and 50% less amount of water as compared to FULL irrigation, but water was applied to all sides of the root zone similar to FULL irrigation; (4) PRD30 and (5) PRD50 which received 30% and 50% less amount of water as compared to FULL irrigation where wetting and drying parts of root zone were alternated at every irrigation. The FULL irrigation treatment obtained 243.10t/ha, 245t/ha yields of tomato in 2011 and 2012 respectively. In PRD30, yield was obtained 238.20t/ha, 242.72t/ha and Water Use efficiency, increased by 38.59%, 39.81% in 2011-12 and 2012-13 respectively compared to FULL irrigation (control) without significantly different (P<0.05) in the yield. In 2011-12 and 2012-13, WUE of RDI30 was 35% and 35.98% compared with the control. Treatment PRD50 and RDI50 has high WUE, but also high yield reduction in both year. However, plants grown with PRD accumulated less dry matter in leaves and stem and thus had less leaf area index. Root biomass and growth significantly increases in PRD grown tomato plants, which appeared to be associated with the alternate side irrigation. PRD strategy allowed the root system to access soil resources (water and nutrients) on competitive mode basis. The results showed that the maximum yield of tomato was obtained in PRD30 followed by RDI30 under water saving irrigation strategy. Therefore, it is going to be a potential water saving strategy for greenhouse