Effect of mulching and amount of water on the yield of tomato under drip irrigation

Abstract

The main challenge confronting both rain fed and irrigated agriculture is to improve WUE and sustainable water use 
for agriculture. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of mulch and amount of water on the yield of 
tomato under drip irrigation system and to assess the potential of deficit irrigation to improve the economic efficiency 
of tomato production at Adet Agricultural Research Center, horticultural crops trial site (Woramit) (North Western 
Ethiopia) from 2006 to 2007. A factorial combination of three levels of water (namely 315, 440 and 565 mm) combined 
with three mulch treatments [namely without mulch (WM), black plastic mulch (PM) and straw or crop residue mulch 
(STM)] amid three replications and two days irrigation interval was used. Amount of water significantly affected the 
number of fruits per plant, average weight of fruits marketable and total fruit yield/ha. Significant difference was also 
shown between mulch treatments on number of fruits, unmarketable, marketable and total fruit yield/ha. Based on the 
partial budget analysis, the highest net benefit was obtained via 440 mm water with straw mulch amid a net benefit 
(52,959.40 birr/ha and a marginal rate of return (MRR) 690%. Therefore, application of 440 mm/ha water in two days 
interval with straw mulch is found to be economically and agronomically feasible and is recommended for Woramit 
and its surrounding and other similar agro-ecologies under drip irrigation system.