quinta-feira, 15 de janeiro de 2009

Drip irrigation with SF hose




Effect of tillage and irrigation systems on weed populations
Subsurface Drip irrigation as a Weed Management Tool for Conventional and Conservation Tillage Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) Production in Semi-Arid Agroecosystems
Shrestha, J. P. Mitchell, W. T. Lanini
Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 31:91-112.

ABSTRACT. Soil and water conserving cropping systems that reduce dust emissions are being developed in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Sub-surface drip irrigation (SDI) and conservation tillage (CT) are some techniques being included in these systems. Weed population dynamics under these systems continue to be explored. An experiment was conducted in 2004 and 2005 near Five Points, CA to assess weed populations in processing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). The experimental design was a split-split plot with the main plots as irrigation [SDI or furrow irrigation (FI)], sub-plots as tillage [standard tillage (ST) or conservation tillage (CT)] and sub-sub-plots as weed control system [weed control (WC) or no weed control (NWC)]. In both years, weed emergence in the furrows of SDI treatments were almost eliminated. Similarly, weed densities on the beds were 46 to 96% lower in the SDI than FI plots. Tillage did not generally affect weed densities but interacted with irrigation in 2005 when the SDI-CT plots had 87% fewer weeds than SDI-ST plots. Weed biomass on the bed was not affected by irrigation or tillage system but the biomass in the furrows was 90% lower in the SDI than FI plots. Total and marketable tomato fruit yields were 33% and 46% greater, respectively in the FI than the SDI system but tillage system had no effect on tomato yield. The WC compared to NWC plots had 20% greater tomato yield. Fruit quality (soluble solids concentration or pH) was not affected by irrigation or tillage systems. A combination of SDI and CT, cultivation in the furrows, and a weed control treatment on the crop beds could be an ideal weed management system for sustainable tomato production in semi-arid regions.

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