Energy-efficient irrigation methods and employing polytunnels for sustainable tomato production in Thailand

Abstract

The sustainable production of tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) necessitates adopting efficient irrigation methods and protective cultivation techniques to enhance yield and minimize environmental impact. This study investigated the effects of drip irrigation and subsurface irrigation (porous pipe) combined with the use of polytunnels on tomato growth and yield. The experiment employed a three-factorial design with four treatments replicated across four blocks. The treatments included two irrigation systems (drip and porous pipe) and the presence and absence of polytunnels. Results demonstrated that polytunnels significantly increased plant biomass production from the third week onwards and improved overall yield with an average of 77.67 g ± 0.05 compared to no tunnel conditions with 31.06 g ± 0.05. The plant height in polytunnels was 73.48 cm ± 0.05, while in no-tunnel, it was 70.64 cm ± 0.05; however, the difference was statistically insignificant. Drip irrigation outperformed porous pipe irrigation in terms of plant height and yield throughout the growing period. Drip irrigation produced an average plant height of 73.2 cm ± 0.05 and a yield of 81.5 g ± 0.05 per plant, while porous pipe had an average plant height of 69.38 cm ± 0.05 and a yield of 27.28 g ± 0.05. The combination of drip irrigation and polytunnel yielded the highest overall output in this experiment with a 242.63 g ± 0.05 yield, highlighting the potential of combining efficient irrigation methods with protective cultivation to optimize tomato production. These findings offer valuable insights into enhancing the overall efficiency and productivity in tomato cultivation, particularly during the rainy season conditions prevalent in Thailand.