Can watering tomatoes every two days deliver high yields while making better use of irrigation water?

Details

Managing irrigation for vegetables, particularly tomatoes, means choosing water quantities and application frequencies to increase plant productivity and quality while maximizing water use efficiency.

This study evaluated agronomic performance, irrigation water productivity, and economic profitability in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) grown in Dschang, West Cameroon. It compared three evapotranspiration-based irrigation scheduling methods—Penman–Monteith, Blaney–Criddle, and Turc—each combined with daily irrigation or irrigation every two days.

The experiment took place at the University of Dschang's experimental area from November 2021 to March 2022. It used a split-plot experimental design, with the method of ETP determination as the principal factor and irrigation frequency as the secondary factor. Tomato growth parameters, yield components, irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), and economic profitability indicators were assessed throughout the production cycle.

Irrigation dose and frequency had no significant effect on vegetative growth parameters, but significantly influenced fruit yield, irrigation water productivity, and economic returns (p < 0.05); the reported value–cost ratio was ≥ 2.

The highest marketable yield, 81.4 t ha⁻¹, was obtained with Penman–Monteith scheduling and irrigation every two days. The greatest irrigation water use efficiency, 15.92 kg m⁻³, was achieved with Blaney–Criddle scheduling and irrigation every two days.

All irrigation–fertilization combinations were economically profitable, with a value–cost ratio ≥ 2. Penman–Monteith applied every two days offered the best compromise between maximizing yield and economic return.