Abstract

Growth stage specific crop coefficient for greenhouse tomatoes grown in the semi arid Mediterranean was evaluated. The evaluation consisted of two simultaneous field trails: 1) Data accumulation of the water consumption of round and cherry tomato plants with the use of drainage lysimeters. 2) Irrigation of tomatoes planted in local sandy soil with either reduced or excess irrigation water doses using the lysimeter water consumption data as the reference criteria. Crop coefficients of between 0.3-1 for the time period from seedling establishment until first fruit harvest and 0.8 for the fruit harvest period were recorded for the winter season round tomato crop. During the summer season, coefficients of between 0.2-0.9 for the time period from seedling establishment until first fruit harvest and 0.8 for the fruit harvest period were measured for the round tomato crop. The cherry cluster cultivar showed a slightly different pattern of water consumption with a peak in crop coefficient at the middle of the fruit harvest stage and a continuous reduction in water consumption until the end of the growth period. Excess irrigation rates damaged the post harvest quality of the fruit of one of the tested cultivars. Reduced irrigation rates caused a reduction in the mean weight of the fruit.

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