EVALUATION OF DEFICIT IRRIGATION AND MULCHING ON WATER PRODUCTIVITY OF TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) UNDER DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM AT KALLU WOREDA, SOUTH WOLLO, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

This study investigated the combined effects of deficit irrigation under drip irrigation system and mulches on yield and water-use efficiency on tomato production at Miawa Farmer Training center, south Wollo, and Kallu worda during 2016 irrigation season. A factorial combination of three levels of water (namely 70%, 80% and 90% ETc) combined with three mulch treatments (namely, without mulch (WM), sugarcane mulch (SM) and bulrush mulch (BM)) with three replications. The yield and yield-contributing all parameter in the mulched treatments for all levels of irrigation there is significantly difference compared to those in the un-mulched treatments. The yield of tomato increased with the increasing amount of irrigation water in un-mulched treatment. The trend was reversed when drip irrigation was coupled with mulches. The highest yield for each mulch (44.04 t/ha for sugarcane and 30.19 t/ha for bulrush) was obtained when 80% and 90% of water requirement was applied respectively. With 90% water application, sugarcane-mulched treatment produced lower yield than the bulrush-mulched treatment. The highest head volume and plant height recorded on 80% ETc with sugarcane mulch (54.67 cc and 84.33 cm, respectively). The highest water use efficiency was obtained 142.96 kg/ha/mm with 80% water application under sugarcane mulch. The study thus reveals that drip irrigation with mulch has an explicit role in increasing the yield and water productivity of tomato.