Optimization of Applied Irrigation Water for High Marketable Yield, Fruit Quality and Economic Benefits of Processing Tomato Using a Low-Cost Wireless Sensor
Water management is a key factor to optimize fruit quality and yield of processing tomatoes which are site-specific and influenced by environmental conditions e.g., soil, temperature, precipitation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacity of a low-cost wireless soil moisture sensor in d...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Horticulturae |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/3/390 |
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| author | Antonio El Chami Raffaele Cortignani Davide Dell’Unto Roberto Mariotti Piero Santelli Roberto Ruggeri Giuseppe Colla Mariateresa Cardarelli |
| author_facet | Antonio El Chami Raffaele Cortignani Davide Dell’Unto Roberto Mariotti Piero Santelli Roberto Ruggeri Giuseppe Colla Mariateresa Cardarelli |
| author_sort | Antonio El Chami |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Water management is a key factor to optimize fruit quality and yield of processing tomatoes which are site-specific and influenced by environmental conditions e.g., soil, temperature, precipitation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacity of a low-cost wireless soil moisture sensor in determining the irrigation level for optimizing the marketable yield, fruit quality and economic profit of processing tomato. A two-years (2017–2018) trial was conducted in open field, applying nine drip irrigation levels controlled by wireless soil moisture capacitance sensors. The irrigation levels were as follows: 13.2, 16.7, 25.4, 33.3, 50.0, 62.3, 82.5, 100 and 186.8% of water restitution based on soil moisture sensor readings. Because of the crop stress induced by heavy rainfalls occurring in 2018 growing season, total and marketable yields reached higher maximum values in 2017 than 2018. In 2017, total and marketable yields were maximized by supplying 92.8% and 96.2% of irrigation level, respectively. Moreover, 95.6% and 91.2% of irrigation level were necessary in 2018 to maximize total and marketable yield, respectively. In both growing seasons, marketable yield variation was due to changes of both fruit number and fruit mean weight. Total soluble solids of fruit juice linearly decreased by increasing the irrigation level with a more pronounced effect in the driest growing season (2017). Economic analysis demonstrated that 100% of irrigation level should be preferred by the Italian farmers since it maximized the operating margins of processing tomatoes in both years. To conclude, the use of the tested low-cost wireless soil moisture sensor is an effective tool to manage the level of irrigation and optimize the processing tomato yield and economic benefits for farmers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:28:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a1966b9cf0274cdf9b624b7a945b1c32 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:28:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj.art-a1966b9cf0274cdf9b624b7a945b1c322023-11-17T11:24:59ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242023-03-019339010.3390/horticulturae9030390Optimization of Applied Irrigation Water for High Marketable Yield, Fruit Quality and Economic Benefits of Processing Tomato Using a Low-Cost Wireless SensorAntonio El Chami0Raffaele Cortignani1Davide Dell’Unto2Roberto Mariotti3Piero Santelli4Roberto Ruggeri5Giuseppe Colla6Mariateresa Cardarelli7Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, ItalyAgenzia Regionale per lo Sviluppo e l’Innovazione dell’Agricoltura del Lazio, 01016 Tarquinia, ItalyTORO System Europe Srl, 00065 Fiano Romano, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, ItalyWater management is a key factor to optimize fruit quality and yield of processing tomatoes which are site-specific and influenced by environmental conditions e.g., soil, temperature, precipitation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacity of a low-cost wireless soil moisture sensor in determining the irrigation level for optimizing the marketable yield, fruit quality and economic profit of processing tomato. A two-years (2017–2018) trial was conducted in open field, applying nine drip irrigation levels controlled by wireless soil moisture capacitance sensors. The irrigation levels were as follows: 13.2, 16.7, 25.4, 33.3, 50.0, 62.3, 82.5, 100 and 186.8% of water restitution based on soil moisture sensor readings. Because of the crop stress induced by heavy rainfalls occurring in 2018 growing season, total and marketable yields reached higher maximum values in 2017 than 2018. In 2017, total and marketable yields were maximized by supplying 92.8% and 96.2% of irrigation level, respectively. Moreover, 95.6% and 91.2% of irrigation level were necessary in 2018 to maximize total and marketable yield, respectively. In both growing seasons, marketable yield variation was due to changes of both fruit number and fruit mean weight. Total soluble solids of fruit juice linearly decreased by increasing the irrigation level with a more pronounced effect in the driest growing season (2017). Economic analysis demonstrated that 100% of irrigation level should be preferred by the Italian farmers since it maximized the operating margins of processing tomatoes in both years. To conclude, the use of the tested low-cost wireless soil moisture sensor is an effective tool to manage the level of irrigation and optimize the processing tomato yield and economic benefits for farmers.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/3/390water managementprocessing tomatosoil moisture sensormarketable yieldfruit qualitytotal soluble solids |
| spellingShingle | Antonio El Chami Raffaele Cortignani Davide Dell’Unto Roberto Mariotti Piero Santelli Roberto Ruggeri Giuseppe Colla Mariateresa Cardarelli Optimization of Applied Irrigation Water for High Marketable Yield, Fruit Quality and Economic Benefits of Processing Tomato Using a Low-Cost Wireless Sensor Horticulturae water management processing tomato soil moisture sensor marketable yield fruit quality total soluble solids |
| title | Optimization of Applied Irrigation Water for High Marketable Yield, Fruit Quality and Economic Benefits of Processing Tomato Using a Low-Cost Wireless Sensor |
| title_full | Optimization of Applied Irrigation Water for High Marketable Yield, Fruit Quality and Economic Benefits of Processing Tomato Using a Low-Cost Wireless Sensor |
| title_fullStr | Optimization of Applied Irrigation Water for High Marketable Yield, Fruit Quality and Economic Benefits of Processing Tomato Using a Low-Cost Wireless Sensor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimization of Applied Irrigation Water for High Marketable Yield, Fruit Quality and Economic Benefits of Processing Tomato Using a Low-Cost Wireless Sensor |
| title_short | Optimization of Applied Irrigation Water for High Marketable Yield, Fruit Quality and Economic Benefits of Processing Tomato Using a Low-Cost Wireless Sensor |
| title_sort | optimization of applied irrigation water for high marketable yield fruit quality and economic benefits of processing tomato using a low cost wireless sensor |
| topic | water management processing tomato soil moisture sensor marketable yield fruit quality total soluble solids |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/9/3/390 |
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