Drip Irrigation “saved” tomato harvest in Apulia (South Italy)

Variable yields and quality. That is in short the summary of the year 2021 about industrial tomato crops in Capitanata (Apulia, South Italy). The season just turned out successful for those who used drip irrigation, in a way to cope with drought and the summer high temperatures recorded in Puglia last summertime. All of the above is, the analysis of Mr. Marcello Martino, agronomist and technical manager of the OP Assodaunia, which was published a few days ago in the specialized weekly "Terraèvita". «Many farmers - says Martino – who do not get adequate water resources, harvested just 500-600 q ha without even recovering production costs. The farmers who carried out short irrigation interventions, with very close shifts, succeeded to save water and money, especially in the last part of the crop cycle, when the plants are richer in vegetation and suffer greater evapotranspiration and have more need for water. In essence, those who were able to irrigate almost every day, providing the plants with the necessary volumes, brought home normal or even excellent yields. Many farmers have produced 1,100 – 1,200 q/ha and some have reached 1,500-1,600 q/ha». Is a further confirmation of how precision irrigation plays a fundamental role in the success of the annual industrial tomato campaign. Plastic-Puglia recommends, for this type of crop, its flagship products, widely used by farmers all over the world and in Capitanata: AQUADROP®, drip hose with turbulent flow short flat emitter (Micro model) or longer one (Mega model), equipped with double protection system to ensure high resistance to clogging and the AQUATAPE®, drip hose with continuous labyrinth and double filtration area.