Comparison of water pillow and drip irrigation systems for tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum mill.) production under greenhouse conditions in the mediterranean region of turkey

Abstract

This study compared the effects of the Water Pillow (WP) irrigation method, a new alternative method to Drip Irrigation (DI), and of different irrigation interval on growth, yield and quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) under greenhouse conditions in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey in 2011 growing season. The treatments were as follows: (i) WP method with a 3-day irrigation interval (WP1), (ii) WP method with a 6-day irrigation interval (WP2), (iii) WP method with a 9-day irrigation interval (WP3) and (iv) Drip Irrigation (DI) method with a 3-day interval (control). There were no statistical differences in growth and yield of tomato plants between DI and WP1 treatments (P<0.05). Irrigation intervals of WP method had significantly different effect in total yields and marketable yields. Maximum and minimum total yields were obtained from WP1 and WP3 treatments; 3.70 kg plant-1 and 2.8 kg plant-1, respectively. By comparing WP with DI, we concluded that the advantages of WP were maintaining the water amount in the root area by decreasing evaporative losses from the soil surface due to its mulching effect, and it also produced the same yield as DI in the greenhouse tomato production. © 2017, National Centre for Agrarian Sciences. All rights reserved.