Evaluation of surface irrigation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

The work was carried out in the Los Palacios municipality on a Gleysol Nodular Ferruginous soil with the objective of evaluating the pulse irrigation system, applying three irrigation variants, using the methodology established by FAO. In the TI variant, the irrigation was applied with intervals of 30 m with four cycles, in the TII variant the intervals were 40 m with three cycles and in the TIII variant (control) the irrigation was carried out continuously. The results show an advantage of the pulse irrigation system, with an efficiency of 65.5 %, in relation to 44.26 % for continuous irrigation, in addition to the productivity of water in tomato yield. In the treatment where pulse irrigation was applied with four cycles, the efficiency of water use obtained a value of 9.17 Kg / m(3) of water applied, a yield of 21.29 T / ha and a greater net profit, surpassing the continuous irrigation in 2.53 times which is equivalent to 67.87 %. The greatest agro-productive response of the crop was achieved with the TII variant that provided a yield of 10.35 t / ha-1, showed greater viability by improving technical-economic indicators with a benefit-cost ratio of 30.15 %, higher than that achieved by the method of continuous irrigation. In addition, the use of intermittent irrigation reduces irrigation time by 46.46 % compared to traditional irrigation and increases application efficiency from 39.75 % (continuous irrigation) to 65.2 %