Sensor-based Irrigation Management for Tomato Cultivation under Greenhouse and Open Field Conditions
B. Sarojini Devi *
Department of Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, ANGRAU-College of Agricultural Engineering, Madakasira-515301, India.
E. Manjunatha
Department of Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, ANGRAU-Dr.NTR College of Agricultural Engineering, Bapatla-522101, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Efficient irrigation management is essential for improving crop productivity and water use efficiency in semi-arid regions facing increasing water scarcity. The present study evaluated the performance of a sensor-based precision irrigation system in tomato cultivation under greenhouse and open field conditions in the semi-arid climatic region of Madakasira, Andhra Pradesh. Hybrid tomato (Saaho TO-3251) was grown under two cultivation environments: protected greenhouse conditions with sensor-based automated drip irrigation and open-field conditions with conventional drip irrigation scheduling. Total seasonal water use was 312 mm under greenhouse conditions and 428 mm in the open field. The greenhouse system produced a yield of 125 t ha⁻¹ compared to 60 t ha⁻¹ in the open field. Water use efficiency was higher under greenhouse cultivation due to reduced evapotranspiration losses and precise irrigation scheduling based on soil moisture thresholds (23–28%). Sensor-based irrigation reduced overall water application by approximately 27% compared to conventional scheduling. The results indicate that integration of soil moisture sensors with automated irrigation in protected cultivation can improve water productivity and crop performance in drought-prone semi-arid regions.
Keywords: Drip irrigation, greenhouse cultivation, precision irrigation, sensor-based irrigation and water use efficiency