TRICKLE IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT FOR TOMATO CROP UNDER DEFICIT IRRIGATION CONDITIONS

Abstract

As fresh water resources become scarce, it is difficult to irrigate crops to meet their full demand. The Arabic region is considered one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change impacts, on account of its water scarcity, which is the highest in the Arab world. Improvements to irrigation management are proposed as a way of increasing agricultural production and reducing the demand for water. One way to achieve greater water use efficiency in irrigation is switching from the less efficient flood or furrow system to more efficient systems such as trickle irrigation (surface, subsurface) or to adopt irrigation strategies, such as deficit irrigation, in order to maximize crop yield and or minimize water losses. The deficit irrigation (DI) strategy, in which irrigation is reduced below the evapotranspiration demand of the crop throughout the growing season, may be acceptable in the Arab region now to cut down water use and energy costs. However, it may be worthwhile to start thinking about it now to lay a strategy for the long term considering the rapidly growing demand for the groundwater due to the tremendous increase in water use for crops.