TITLE:
Increasing Water Use Efficiency in Husk Tomato (Physalis ixocarpa Brot) Production in Tabasco, Mexico with Improved Irrigation Water Management
AUTHORS:
Rutilo López-López, Ignacio Sánchez Cohen, Marco Antonio InzunzaIbarra, Andrés Fierro Álvarez, Gerardo Esquivel Arriaga
KEYWORDS:
Drip Irrigation, Plastic Sheeting, Water Productivity, Profitability
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.6 No.13,
September
30,
2014
ABSTRACT: Husk
tomato production technology was developed utilizing plastic sheeting and drip
irrigation based on the results of reference evapotranspiration and crop
coefficients (Kc) proposed at different phenological stages. The objectives of
this study were as follows: 1) to evaluate the effect of plastic sheeting on
the yield of husk tomato fruit with drip irrigation based on crop
evapotranspiration; 2) to validate the use of drip irrigation technology and
plastic sheeting in husk tomato production using demonstration plots; and 3) to
determine the profitability and economic viability of the product in the
domestic market. The proposed Kc values were 0.25, 0.71 and 0.56 in the
initial, intermediate and final stage of crop development, respectively.
Irrigation rates ranged from 2.5 to 6 mm·day-1, which was equivalent
to an irrigation time of 0.6 to 2.5 hr. Soil moisture tension was monitored
with tensiometers at depths of 15 and 30 cm in a loamy eutricfluvisol. The use
of plastic sheeting increased husk tomato yield by 56.2% and water productivity
by 63.5% under drip irrigation conditions when basing irrigation levels on crop
evapotranspiration. Soil matrix potential varied between depths of 15 and 30 cm
based on irrigation or rainfall amounts and the use of plastic sheeting with
values being higher when the plastic sheeting was used. The husk tomato fruit
yield in validation plots was 46 and 54.6 t·ha-1 with water use
efficiencies ranging from 16.1 to 19.1 kg·m-3. These results
exceeded the national average of 14 t·ha-1 and water use efficiency
of 2.54 kg·m-3. With this new technology, a cost benefit ratio of
3.6 is obtained, which represents an economically profitable margin for farmers
in the region.