Abstract:
Field experiments were
conducted during two post rainy seasons at
J.N. Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur,
India, to evaluate the effect of emitter
discharge rate, drip irrigation supplies and
planting pattern on soil moisture distribution
patterns and yield of tomato in heavy soils.
In the experiments during 1998, irrigation
was applied through emitters (2, 4 lhr-1) and
micro-tubes (6 lhr-1) to conventional and
paired-row plantings of tomato (var. ACC -
99). While, in the experiments during 2000,
four irrigation supply levels (0.6, 0.8, 1.0,
1.2 times crop evapo-transpiration)
combined with paired-row, four-row
plantings of tomato (var. Pusa ruby) were
applied. Observations revealed that
fulfillment of 100 per cent of tomato crop
evapo-transpiration need utilizing microirrigation
(micro-tubes of rated discharge -
6 lhr-1) combined with four-row plantings of
tomato achieved a cost saving of 35.21 per
cent on initial investment with significant
gain in yield over paired-row planting in the
heavy soils of central India.
