Efficiency of water use and fertilizer in fertirrigation of management in the tomato crop under conditions of soil salinity

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of salinity of soil and of fertirrigation management on the productivity and efficiency of use of water in tomato crop, cultivated in sandy-clayey soiland greenhouse. The treatments consisted of six initial levels of soil salinity (1.0; 2.0; 3.0; 4.0; 5.0; 6.0 dS m^-1) and two fertirrigation management in statistic design in blocks with 4 repetitions. The greatest total productivity (17.1 Mg ha^-1) and the maximum  efficiency of water use(0.12 Mg ha^-1 L^-1) are obtained when the fertirrigation management with control of the electric conductivity of soil solution is used, interacting with low levels of soil salinity . The fertirrigation management recommended in the literature for the tomato crop can over estimate the  amount of fertilizers, reducing the efficiency of the use.