Impact of Fertigation Scheduling on Tomato Yield under Arid Ecosystem Conditions. Yasser E. Arafa, Essam A. Wasif, Magdy T.

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1 Reseach Jounal of Agicultue and Biological Sciences, 5(): , , INSInet Publication Impact of Fetigation Scheduling on Tomato Yield unde Aid Ecosystem Conditions Yasse E. Aafa, Essam A. Wasif, Magdy T. El-Tantawy 1 Agic. Eng. Dept., Faculty of Agicultue, Ain Shams Univesity 2 Agic. Eng. Res. Inst., Ag. Res. Cente, MALR Abstact: Fetigation has ensued to impove stability of cops poductivity; its use is being discontinued due to its potentially hazadous even and even so applied impopely. Theefoe, two field expeiments wee caied out duing two successful gowing seasons (2005 and 2006) at Deset Fam of Faculty of Agicultue, Ain Shams Univesity, EL-Bustan Region, Beheia Govenoate, which epesents sandy soil conditions, to impove tomato yields based on fetigation technique scheduling unde suface dip and solid-set spinkle iigation systems. Results evealed that tomato yields, wate and fetilize use efficiencies had been enhanced with about 25.6, 49. and 20.% unde suface dip compaed with solidset spinkle iigation systems espectively. On the othe hand, data indicated that thee was a positive popotional tend with the applied nutient amounts and the NPK esidues in the fuits unde the investigated iigation systems. Moeove, the cost of tomato poduction unit unde fetigation was lowe than that when using taditional method of fetilization (boadcasting) by 15.72% and 12.78% unde dip and spinkle iigation systems at ate of 100% of the total nutient equiements, espectively. Key wods: Dip iigation, Spinkle iigation, Sandy soil, Costs, Quality. INTRODUCTION Tomato is the majo vegetable cop in Egypt. The annual cultivated aea is estimated to be feddans amounting to 8.5% of the total vegetable aea [1] accoding to. Gowth yield wee the biggest in 0%- eduction teatment and standad (dip fetigation with [2] the same amounts as contol),. Meanwhile, Boujelbn [] et al) stated that daily dip iigation may be help tomato cop to esist highe summe tempeatues. [4] [5] Moeove, El-Gindy and Abdel-Aziz and Khalifa stated that dip iigation systems may enhance cop yield with about 7.9 and 26.19% compaed with spinkle iigation systems accoding to the iigated cop type and the applied fetigation scheduling and management. Chemigation technology has been intoduced to impove the application of ago-chemicals via iigation systems. Chemigation has ensued to impove stability of cops poductivity, its use is being discontinued due to its potentially hazadous to the envionment and its ole in the physical esouces degadation even and [6] even so if applied impopely. Theefoe, unifom application of such chemicals is necessay to insue consideable incease in vegetable poduction and eal [7] [8] decease in poduction costs. Abdel-Aziz found that injection the fetilizes though iigation systems poduced 2.41% moe in potato yield than that the conventional method of fetilization. Deshmukh [9] stated that the application of about 80 pecent of the ecommended ate wee supeio to the othe teatments, howeve, 16% incease in yield had been obseved. Theefoe, the objective of this study was to scheduling phase-out of the applied cop nutients equiements via iigation wate (fetigation technique) and the tomato poductivity esponse unde sandy soil conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS Expeimental Layouts and Design: Field expeiments caied out in the Deset Fam of the Faculty of Agicultue, Ain Shams Univesity (sandy soil), El- Bustan Region, Beheia Govenoate. Some physical popeties of soil and chemical analysis of iigation wate wee conducted accoding to standad pocedues and epesented in Tables (1, 2 and ). Two pessuized iigation systems (suface dip and solid-set spinkle) wee investigated as shown in Fig.(1). I- Iigation Systems: The contol head unit consists of electical centifugal pump (50 m /h and 40 m head), media filte (2 tanks each one is 6" in diamete), two sceen filte (" in diamete fo each one- 120 mesh), flow mete and pessue gauges. Howeve, ventue mete (2" in diamete) had been used fo the application of the cop nutient equiements via Coesponding Autho: Yasse E. Aafa, Agic. Eng. Dept., Faculty of Agicultue, Ain Shams Univesity. 280

2 Res. J. Agic. & Biol. Sci., 5(): Table 1: Physical popeties of sandy soil. Sample Depth, cm Paticle Size Distibution, % F.C.,% P. W.P.,% B.D.,g/cm Textue Class C. sand F. sand Silt Clay Sandy Sandy Table 2: Chemical analysis of sandy soil Sample Depth, cm ph1: 1.25 EC,dS/m Soluble Cations, meq/l Soluble Anions, meq/l Ca Mg Na K HCO SO 4 CL Table : Chemical analysis of iigation wate. ph EC,dS/m Soluble Cations, meq/l Soluble Anions, meq/l SAR Ca Mg Na K HCO SO 4 CL iigation wate. 125/110 mm PVC pipeline was used as a mainline fo deliveing wate fom the wate souce to the sub-main lines which was 75 mm in diamete. Meanwhile, the manifold lines wee 40 mm in diamete fo the spinkle iigation system and it was 2mm in diamete fo the dip iigation system. Solid-set spinkle iigation systems: spinkles wee fixed at 12 x 12 m spacing (six spinkles fo each plot), they wee 1.0 m /h dischage at 2.5 ba opeating pessue. Suface dip iigation: PE lateals of 16 mm diamete with 0.5 m spacing and 20 m length. Dippes built-in with dischage of 4 lph/50cm spacing at 1.0 ba opeating pessue. ii- Agicultual Pactices: Iigation wate equiements had been applied accoding to the weathe data of El-Bustan egion, which had been collected fom the Cental Laboatoy of Agicultual Climate (CLAC), ARC and had been calculated accoding to [10] FAO. All othe agonomic pactices fo tomatoes had been applied accoding to the ecommendations of the Veg. Res. Inst., ARC, fo cultivating unde El- Bustan egion. Tomato seedlings (Castle ock) wee d th tansplanted on of May, 2005 and 10 May, Howeve, othe tomato nutient equiements had been applied as following: a- Soil-bed pepaation by ploughing of the soil two times using chisel plow with added 10m of fetilize manue. b- Add 250kg/fed of supe phosphate, 15.5% P2O5 duing soil-bed pepaation. c- Soil planning (fuow evey 0.75 mete). iii- Expeimental Teatments: A- Iigation Systems: Solid-set spinkle iigation system. Suface dip iigation system. B- Fetigation Scheduling Teatments: Taditional method of fetilization (boadcasting) using the ecommended ate (100% of the total equied amount of Nitogen elements). Fetigation scheduling: thee ates of 100, 75 and 50 pecent of the total equied amount of Nitogen element. Howeve, the applied N was in fom of ammonium nitate, %. These fetilize amounts wee divided into 10 doses and applied eithe boadcasting (taditional method, which consideed as contol) o injecting via iigation wate (fetigation) duing the gowing season. iv- Measuements and calculations At havest, total tomato yield in Mgam (ton) pe hectae was estimated fo each teatment. a- Vegetation gowth and yield indices * Plant height, cm. * No. of banches/plant * No. of fuits/ plant * Total yield, Mgam/ha. b- Detemine the esidual effect of the applied fetilizes in the tomato fuits c- Estimate eithe Field-wate o fetilize use efficiencies 281

3 Res. J. Agic. & Biol. Sci., 5(): Fig. 1: Layout of the investigated iigation systems. 282

4 Res. J. Agic. & Biol. Sci., 5(): d- Costs Analysis: 1 - Iigation Costs: Capital cost fo diffeent iigation systems and chemical application wee calculated using cuent deale pices (2008) fo equipment and installation accoding to Woth and Xin, [11]. 2- Fetilization Costs: Fetilization of tomato cop caied out by fetigation system though iigation wate o taditional method of fetilization (boadcasting). Fetilization cost was calculated as follows: F = ( W f x P )+ Ac Whee: F is the fetilization cost, LE/fed.; W f is the applied amount of fetilizes, kg/fed.; P is the fetilize unit pice, LE/kg and A c is the application cost of fetilizes, LE/Fed. - Total Costs and Poduction Cost Unit: Total and poduction unit costs of tomato cop include iigation and fetilization costs wee calculated accoding to the cuent pices RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 1- the Response of Iigation Wate and Fetilize Use Efficiencies to Fetigation Scheduling: I- the Effect of Pessuized Iigation Systems: Data illustated in Table (4) and Fig. (2) indicated that thee was small value effect of iigation method (spinkle and dip) on the investigated vegetative gowth indices: plant height, numbe of banches/plant and numbe of fuits /plant. Meanwhile, data indicated that suface dip iigation system had enhanced the economical tomato yield with about 25.6% compaed to solid-set spinkle iigation system. This may be due to shote iigation intevals in case of dip iigation which keep highe moistue content of the top soil laye compaed by spinkle iigation. With egad to eithe FWUE o FUE, data illustated in Figs. ( and 4) indicated suface dip iigation system obtained highe values of both indices with about 49. and 25.6 pecent ove solid-set spinkle one fo both WUE and FUE espectively. This may be due to the highe moistue distibution unifom values unde in the effective oots zone of tomato plants unde dip iigation, moeove, high fequency application of nutients unde dip iigation allows splitting of the fetilizes amount, so that the elements availability ae fitted to nutitional needs of the cop. II the Effect of Fetigation Scheduling: Data analysis evealed that thee is a positive popotional tend between the fetigation scheduling (fetigation ate) and the obseved values of the vegetative gowth indices and the maximization indices of iigation wate and fetilize use efficiencies with coesponded pessuized iigation systems unde dought ecosystems of sandy soils. Howeve, the total economic tomato yields inceased fom 6. to and Mgam/ha, with inceasing fetigation ate fom 50 to 75 and 100 pecent of the total amounts of the equied N of tomato cop, unde suface dip iigation. Meanwhile, the total economic yields wee 5.02, 11.2 and 15.8 Mgam/ha, unde solid-set spinkle iigation system by inceasing fetigation ate fom 50, 75 and 100 kg- N. Same tend had been obseved fo eithe wate o fetilize use efficiencies with espect to the investigated scheduling teatments. These findings may be due to the dip fetigated application gave the chance fo mineal nutients to move into the wetted volume in a manne consistent with the flux of the wate in the soil, while applying the fetilizes using conventional method causes non-unifomity distibution of fetilize though the soil pofile and consequently, deceasing fetilize utilization efficiency and cops poductivity. III- the Effect of Applied Inteaction Effect of Iigation System and Fetigation Scheduling unde Sandy Soil Conditions: Data analysis speculated that economical tomato yields had been inceased by % unde dip and spinkle fetigated espectively, compaed with taditional fetilization system (boadcasting). The findings out may be due to the dip fetigated as attactive concept, as it pemits application of nutients diectly at the site of a high concentation of active oots and as needed by the cop. Howeve, following application though dip iigation, mineal nutients move into the wetted volume in a manne consistent with the flux of the wate in the soil, while applying the fetilizes using conventional method causes non-unifomity distibution of fetilize though the soil pofile and consequently, deceasing fetilize utilization efficiency and cops poductivity. Regading the maximization indices of eithe WUE o FUE, data evealed that the aveage tomato copwate use efficiency values with using fetigation technique had been enhanced with about and 24.9 % unde suface dip and solid-set spinkle iigation systems compaed with taditional fetilization method. This may be due to the high unifomity of fetilize distibution and fetilize elements aleady in 28

5 Res. J. Agic. & Biol. Sci., 5(): Table 4: Tomato yield and vegetation gowth as esponse to the investigated fetilization methods and pessuized iigation systems Iigation system Fetilization technique Fetilization pecentage (NC R), % Vegetation gowth indices Total economical yield, Mgam/ha A * * * B C Suface dip Fetigation 100 % % % Boadcasting 100 % Solid-set spinkle Fetigation 100 % % % Boadcasting 100 % * A is the plant height in cm; B is the numbe of banches pe plant and C is the numbe of fuits pe plant ** NC R is the equied amount of Nitogen of tomato plants unde studied aea conditions, accoding to the ecommendations of Veg. Res. Inst., ARC (efeed to be 28 kg-n pe hectae) Fig. 2: The esponse of tomato vegetative gowth to fetilization and pessuized iigation methods Fig. : Effect of fetilization method on wate use efficiency unde dip and spinkle iigation systems 284

6 Res. J. Agic. & Biol. Sci., 5(): Fig. 4: Effect of fetilization method on Nitogen fetilize use efficiency unde dip and spinkle iigation systems solution become available to the plant oot faste than when placed dy in the soil. Same tend had been obtained fo tomato plants-fetilize use efficiency; howeve, the incement pecent was 14.25% unde suface dip and 10.12% unde solid-set spinkle iigation system compaed with the taditional fetilization. This may be due to the high unifomity of fetilize distibution and fetilize elements aleady in solution become available to the plant oot faste than when placed dy in the soil. 2- Residues Npk Concentation in Tomato Fuits: Data tabulated in Table (5) speculated that the esidues NPK concentation in tomato fuits had inceased by inceasing fetigation ate fom 50 to 100 % of the total equiements unde both suface dip and solid-set spinkle iigation systems, but the incease in NPK unde suface dip was highe than that unde solid-set spinkle iigation. On the othe hand, data indicated that the esidues nutients concentation in tomato fuits was highe by using fetigation method than that when using taditional method of fetilization (boadcasting) by 12.4, 1.49 and 26.8 % fo N, P and K espectively unde suface dip iigation system, while the incease was 16.7, 4.7 and 20.2 % unde solid-set spinkle iigation system. - Costs Analysis: Data in Table (6) indicate that the lowest cost of tomato poduction unit was 92.2 LE/Mgam unde suface dip iigation system at fetigation ate of 100 kg-n pe unit aea, while the highest cost of tomato poduction unit was 286.1LE/Mgam unde spinkle iigation system at fetigation ate of 50kg-N pe unit aea. On the othe hand, the cost of tomato poduction unit unde fetigation was lowe than that when using taditional Table 5: Effect of fetigation scheduling on esidues NPK concentation in tomato fuits Iigation system Fetilization technique Fetigation pecentage, % Residues nutients concentation in tomato fuits, % N P K Suface dip Fetigation 50 % 0f NCR Boadcasting Solid-set spinkle Fetigation 50 % 0f NCR Boadcasting 100 % 0f NC R 285

7 Res. J. Agic. & Biol. Sci., 5(): Table 6: Tomato poduction unit costs unde diffeent fetilization methods and pessuized iigation systems Iigation system Fetilization technique Fetigation pecentage, % Total cost,le/ha Poduction cost unit, LE/ton Suface dip Fetigation 50 % 0f NCR Boadcasting Solid-set spinkle Fetigation 50 % 0f NCR Boadcasting 100 % 0f NC R fetilization method (boadcasting) by 15.72% and 12.78% unde suface dip and solid-set spinkle iigation systems at highe ate of fetigation scheduling espectively. REFERENCES 1. Agicultual Statistics, Economic Affais Secto, Ministy of Agicultue, 1: Aaki, Y. and H. Yamaguchi, Effects of dip fetigation on nutient uptake, gowth, yield and fuit quality of focing cultue tomato (Lycopesicon esculentum Mill. Va. House- Momotao) unde geenhouse. National Agicultue Reseach Cente fo Tohoku Region, Moioka, Japan. Acta Hot., 761: Boujelben, A., C. Hannachi, Y. Mnasi and T. Jlali, Fetigation of pocessing tomato in Sidi Bouzid egion (Tunisia). Acta Hot., 758: El-Gindy, A.M. and A.A. Abdel-Aziz, 200. Maximizing wate use efficiency 0f maiz cop in sandy soils. J. of Aab. Univ. Union of Agic. Sci., 1: Khalifa, S.M., Utilizing tickle iigation to th poduce pea in new deset land. 1 Annal Conf. of MSAE, Sp. Issue of Mis J. Agic. Eng., El-Gindy, A.M., M.G. Gigis and Y.E. Aafa, Effects of biogation technique on biofetilizes pefomance and tomato yield. 12 th Conf. of Applied Micobiology, Caio, Mach 18-20: Abdel-Aizi, A.A., Wate and fetilize equiements fo tomato cop unde tickle and spinkle iigation systems in sandy soils. J. of Aab. Univ. Union of Agic. (unde pess) 8. Abdel-Aziz, A.A., Evaluation of some moden chemigation techniques. Ph.D. Thesis, Fac. of Agic., Ain Shams Univesity, Deshmukh, M.R. and R.L. Takte, Effect of fetigation on gowth and yield of tomato J. of Mahaashta-Ag. Uni., 2(2): FAO, Guidelines fo pedicting cop wate equiements. FAO Iigation and Dainage, 24: Rome Woth, B. and J. Xin, 198. Fam Mechanization fo Pofit, Ganada Publishing.UK, pp: