Water and nutrient use efficiency of soilless grown greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.)

Abstract

Fertigation by drip irrigation enhances the supply of water and nutrients directly to the root zone of plants. This results in maximal crop water and nutrient uptake and reduces leaching of nutrients and chemicals from the root zone. Two tomato varieties were cultivated in soilless medium in two greenhouse conditions to assess fertilizer rate, and irrigation regime on yield, water and nutrient utilization under a factorial experimental layout in a split-split plot design. The treatments were: three levels of fertilizer rate (F1: 100%, F2: 80%, F3: 60%) as recommended for soilless grown greenhouse tomato production, three levels of irrigation regime (I1: 100%, I2: 80%, I3: 60%) with respect to the crop water requirement and two tomato genotypes (V1: Jalila F1, V2: Yetty F1). A 20% to 40% decrease in fertilizer rate and irrigation regime decreased cluster (0.9–6.6%), flower (0.9–13.1%) and fruit (0.3–15%) formation under greenhouse condition. Marketable yield as affected by the combination of fertilizer rate by irrigation regime by genotype increased with increase in crop water productivity and nutrient use efficiency under greenhouse condition. Nutrient use efficiency increased with increase in crop water productivity. Evidently, marketable yield, crop water productivity and nutrient use efficiency vary significantly with plant nutrition, irrigation, genotype and its interactions. These are critical in curbing water scarcity, managing the economic crisis and to further the quest for zero hunger.