ABSTRACT
Drip irrigation has proved its superiority over the conventional method of irrigation, especially in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables due to precise and direct application of water in root zone. A considerably saving in water, increased growth, development and yield of drip irrigated vegetables has been reported [2, 3, 8, 11]. The use of black polyethylene mulch in vegetable production has been reported to control the weed incidence, to reduce nutrient losses and to improve the hydrothermal regimes of soil [1, 4, 12]. However, limited information is available regarding the effects of drip irrigation alone and in conjunction with polyethylene mulch as compared with surface irrigation on growth and yield of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller). As tomato is the most important vegetable crop, such information is required for developing new strategies for intensive production of vegetables. Therefore, this chapter discusses the effects of different levels of drip irrigation with and without polyethylene mulch on growth, yield, water-use efficiency and economics of tomato.
