PRODUCTIVITY AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY IN PROCESSING TOMATO UNDER DEFICIT IRRIGATION IN SOUTHERN ITALY

In water limited environment, the irrigation of tomato crop should be performed to increase the water use efficiency, optimizing the fruit yield, the farmers income and preserving the water resource. The present study aimed to evaluate irrigation water deficit strategies, based on different levels of restoring the water used by the crop (crop coefficient method) in Southern Italy. Although by increasing the irrigation water (354-631 mm) the fresh fruit resulted raised (+ 20%), the water use efficiency resulted higher when the crop was submitted to water stress. The gross income resulted equal to 9588 € ha^-1 when irrigation fully satisfied the water consumption and of 1888 € ha^-1 greater than the stressed treatments. On the other hand, the net income per mm of water applied, resulted improved of 41% when comparing the stressed with the well watered treatment. The deficit irrigation strategies could play a key role in the water scarcity, water price raising and environmental safeguard perspective for tomato in Mediterranean environment.