Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
16.6 SUMMARY
Soil moisture-based, high-frequency, low-volume (pulsed) irrigation management
strategies have saved water while maintaining yields of vegetables grown in coarse
textured soils. However, little is known regarding the efficacy of soil moisture-based
pulsed irrigation on finer textured soils. Therefore, five, tensiometer-based, automated
irrigation treatments were tested for tomato (
Lycopersicon esculentum
syn.
Solanum
lycopersicum
) grown in a Maury silt loam soil in 2009 and 2010 in Lexington, KY.
Irrigation treatments consisted of paired-tensiometer systems with on/off setpoints of
−30/-10, −30/-25, −45/-10, −45/40 kPa in 2009 and 2010 and a single-tensiometer
system with setpoints of −35 and −40 kPa, in 2009 and 2010, respectively. In 2009,
the pulsed systems (-30/-25, −45/-40, and −35 kPa) irrigated more frequently, but
for a shorter duration than nonpulsed systems (-30/-10 and −45/-10 kPa). Soil mois-
ture measurements in 2009suggested that probes set at a depth of 6 inches were more
closely matched to irrigation setpoints than those at 12 inches. In both years, the −45/-
40 kPa setpoint treatment used the least amount of water while maintaining total mar-
ketable yields that were not significantly different than other treatments. Yields were
significantly higher in 2009 than 2010, though atypical air temperatures in 2010 may
have been the cause. Leaf water potential and relative water content were measured
predawn and midday throughout the growing season in 2009 and 2010. Leaf water po-
tential was not significantly affected by the treatments in either year, though leaf rela-
tive water content was affected in 2010. In this trial an automated, soil moisture-based
irrigation system maintained yields and saved water when compared to a nonpulsed
irrigation system using similar irrigation set points for tomato grown in a silt loam soil.
KEYWORDS
•
Automated irrigation
•
Drip irrigation
•
Leaf water potential
•
Lycopersicon esculentum
•
Plasticulture
•
Pulsed irrigation
•
Relative water content
•
Sensor irrigation
•
Soil water content
•
Soil water potential
•
Tensiometer
•
Tomato
REFERENCES
1. Amayreh, J., Al-Abed, N. (2005). Developing crop coefficients for field-grown tomato (
Ly-
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