Subsurface drip irrigation of tomatoes: Drip system design, management promote seed emergence

Abstract

Subsurface drip irrigation has a number of potential advantages over conventional surface irrigation; it curtails weed growth and reduces water loss due to high irrigation uniformity. Depending on a system's design and management, however, it may not always provide adequate soil moisture to germinate the crop seed. This study demonstrates that acceptable levels of seed emergence can be obtained in processing tomatoes using subsurface drip irrigation in clay-loam soil.