Response of processing tomato yield to drip irrigation under saline, shallow groundwater conditions

The response of processing tomato to subsurface drip irrigation under saline, shallow groundwater was investigated at two locations on the westside of the San Joaquin Valley of California. One site consisted of 16 ha of loam, while the second site was 32 ha of clay loam. At Site BR, about 75 percent of the potential evapotranspiration was applied, while at Site DI, about 100 percent of the potential evapotranspiration was applied. In addition to the field-scale systems, small scale experiments were conducted which consisted of applying water at rates of 30 percent, 45 percent, 60 percent, 75 percent, and 100 percent of the potential evapotranspiration to see the effect of upward flow of the saline groundwater on crop yield and quality. 1999 results showed the yields of two drip irrigated Fields to be 12.0 Mg/ha and 21.9 Mg/ha more that adjacent sprinkler irrigation Fields. Soluble solids of the drip fields were acceptable. Applied water was about the same for the different irrigation methods. The small scale experiment showed a trend of decreasing yield with decreasing applied water. Keywords. Drip irrigation, Processing tomato.