Water requirement for the production of one kilogram of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit under greenhouse production system in Uganda

Abstract

Water is a key production factor in the Horticultural sector as it directly influences yield and quality of produce. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a popular and widely consumed vegetable crop worldwide. The amount of water required to produce one kilogram of tomato (Nemo netta F1) under greenhouse conditions were studied basing on the common assumption in Uganda that one tomato plant requires 1litre of water per day. Four treatments: 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of 1000 ml were set as the four irrigation levels. The objective of this study was to assess the optimum amount of water required to produce one kilogram of tomato. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at MUARIK and it was laid in a completely randomized design. Data was collected on plant height, internode length, internode diameter, leaf area, truss number, flower number, fruit number and fruit weight Different levels of water affected plant growth differently. Plant height was significantly affected by the amount of water applied. Tomato fruit yield was also affected significantly by the different levels of water. The highest fruit yield was recorded in the well-watered (1000 ml and 750 ml) plants. The smallest fruit number and weight were observed in the plants irrigated with 250 ml of water daily. Treatment 750 ml of water performed better than all the other treatments and therefore irrigating tomato plants with 750 ml of water daily is suitable for better fruit yields, so it should be adapted since it conserves water and produces better yields.