New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

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Short communication Lessons from processing tomato irrigation trials in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

J. L. BURGMANS¹

New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
 Research Ltd
Hawke's Bay Research Centre
P. O. Box 85
Hastings, New Zealand

J. P. C. WATT²

Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd
Private Bag 1403
Havelock North, New Zealand

W. T. BUSSELL⁺

Department of Landscape & Plant Science
UNITEC Institute of Technology
Private Bag 92 025
Auckland, New Zealand
email: wbussell@unitec.ac.nz

¹Present address: 176 Avondale Road, Napier, New Zealand.

²Present address: 41 Chambers St, Havelock North, New Zealand.

Abstract  Variable effects on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum (L.)) yield were found in irrigation trials carried out in five seasons from 1973-74 to 1980-81. Only in one season was there a consistent positive response to irrigation; this was the season when soil moisture deficit was highest. The causes of the general lack of an irrigation response were not identified in this study; but observations suggested that the crop's water requirements were being supplied by subsurface water as well as rainfall, irrigation, and soil moisture storage in the 0-430 mm depth (A and B horizon). The subsurface water could have been supplied either by upward flux or by deep rooting. Further investigations are needed to clarify the character of tomato rooting systems and the contribution of upward flux from a water table to the root zone water economics.

Keywords  tomatoes; irrigation; processing

⁺Author to whom correspondence is to be addressed.
H98007
Received 5 February 1998; accepted 14 August 1998

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (432K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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