Aymn Hejazy
General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research-
(GCSAR), Rural Damascus  Research Center
Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University,
2009

Abstract

This research was conducted for two years (2007-2008) on tomato  crop at Nashabia Agricultural Research Station in Rural Damascus. The results showed the (100% mulch) was superior production factor, saving 385 m³/ha of gross water consumption compared with (100% without mulch), which means an increase of 11.75% in production, improved water use efficiency at 15%  or 16.43 to 21.98 kg/m³.
The (85% mulch) was the best factor in water use efficiency with insignificant differences with (100% mulch), The differences were insignificant with other factors. With 85% mulch, the net water consumption was (2473) m³/ha, and the gross was (2743) m³/ha. The number of irrigations was 15 and the water efficiency was 90%. The total amount of irrigation was (2713 m³/ha). The productivity was (57092) kg/ha.
The phonological and morphological study showed early yielding formation and ripping in stressed irrigation plots (75% without mulch) with weak vegetative vigor density.
The yield response factors were (0.62, 1.80 , 1.91 and 2.73 ) for (85,75%) mulch, (85,75%) without mulch, so the (85% mulch) could save (435) m³/ha of the total water consumption comparing with the (100% mulch), which means that (85% mulch) has saved about 13.5% of it, with a decrease of 11% in productivity (5298) kg/ha in comparison with (100% mulch).
Key words: drip irrigation, stressed irrigation, tomato