Abstract
To optimize crops irrigation strategy is crucial to improve the production sustainability in a climate change scenario characterized by an ever-increasing water shortage. Crops simulation models, combined with experimental data, can be useful tools. AquaCrop, a crop water productivity model, has been widely used to reach this aim in open field condition but it has been limited adopted under greenhouse conditions. This study aims to calibrate and validate AquaCrop model through a greenhouse tomato cultivation using a split plot experimental design. Crop irrigation management was the main treatment [full irrigation (FI) at 100 % crop evapotranspiration (ETc) vs. deficit irrigation (DI) at 75 % of FI] and fertilization [no fertilization, mineral fertilization, organic fertilization with compost, and organic fertilization with sieved (< 2 mm) compost] the subplots. Fresh yield, above-ground biomass, water productivity, and net irrigation requirements were simulated. The validated model also permitted to evaluate the impacts of changing temperature outside the greenhouse on fruits yield, biomass, and water productivity using 30 years of historical weather data. The results showed that the model accurately estimated crop parameters, although it tended to overestimate soil water content. On average, DI reduced fruit yield by 14.1 % compared to FI. Over the last 30 years, the validated model permitted to calculate an average fruits yield reduction due to DI of 12.6 %. Our findings suggest that models like AquaCrop can assist in optimizing greenhouse agriculture by predicting crop performance under different conditions. Our study also highlights that external temperature and AquaCrop can be used to estimate tomato yields in the greenhouse by providing decision support tools for end-users (farmers, farmer associations, and policymakers) seeking sustainable and efficient greenhouse farming practices in a changing climate.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
AquaCrop accurately estimated crop parameters.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Outcome
- accurately estimated crop parameterse0
Not reportedComparatorValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the model accurately estimated crop parameters”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
AquaCrop tended to overestimate soil water content.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- soil water contente0
- Direction
- overestimatee0
Not reportedComparatorValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“it tended to overestimate soil water content”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Deficit irrigation reduced tomato fruit yield by 14.1% relative to full irrigation.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- deficit irrigation (DI) at 75 % of FIe1
- Outcome
- fruit yielde0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 14.1 %e0
- Comparator
- full irrigation (FI) at 100 % crop evapotranspiration (ETc)e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“On average, DI reduced fruit yield by 14.1 % compared to FI.”
e1“deficit irrigation (DI) at 75 % of FI”
e2“full irrigation (FI) at 100 % crop evapotranspiration (ETc)”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
The validated model calculated a 12.6% average fruit yield reduction from deficit irrigation over 30 years.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- fruits yield reductione0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 12.6 %e0
- Qualifier
- Over the last 30 yearse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Over the last 30 years, the validated model permitted to calculate an average fruits yield reduction due to DI of 12.6 %.”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest AquaCrop can help optimize greenhouse agriculture by predicting crop performance.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- optimizing greenhouse agriculture by predicting crop performance under different conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“models like AquaCrop can assist in optimizing greenhouse agriculture by predicting crop performance under different conditions”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
External temperature and AquaCrop can estimate greenhouse tomato yields for decision support.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- estimate tomato yields in the greenhousee0
Not reportedComparatorValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“external temperature and AquaCrop can be used to estimate tomato yields in the greenhouse by providing decision support tools for end-users”
t0“tomato”
The same questions in other papers
irrigation · yield · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Positive and negative results
104 papers in the same direction as this paper · 239 in the opposite direction
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