Resumen

ZAMBRANO, Félix; VILLAFANE, Roberto  y  FIGUEROA, Rosana. EFECTO DE LA PROFUNDIDAD DEL NIVEL FREÁTICO SOBRE LA PRODUCCIÓN DE TOMATE EN UN SUELO FRANCO ARENOSO Y BAJO CONDICIONES DE INVERNADERO. Agronomía Trop. [online]. 2003, vol.53, n.4, pp.22-31. ISSN 0002-192X.

There are reports about groundwater contribution to soil moisture and its effect on yield of tornato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., but there is no information about high water table effects on root growth and therefore on crop growth and yield. In this work that effect was studied under greenhouse conditions, using columns of soil contained in lysimeters of 55 cm height and 24 cm diameter. Cultivars Brigade and Heinz 8893 were subjected to four water table conditions: water table at 20 cm of depth, water table at 30 cm of depth, water table at 40 cm of depth and without water table. Height of water table was controlled with a hose connected in the drainage of lysinieter, locating its other extreme at the necessary height to generate a water table agreenlent with the levels defined. In this way, once irrigation was applied, water flowed inside the soil column, passed throuhg the drainage of the lysimeter and ascended inside the hose, to go out by its free extreme. Four plants per lysimeter were transplanted, later reduce to two. Variables measured were plant height, stalk diameter, number of fruits and crop yield. Water table height affected growth and yield of tomato plants. Plant height, stalk diameter, number of fruits and crop yield were superior in absence of groundwater, descending with its presence and with its elevation. Yield of cultivar 'Heinz 8893'was affected less, possibly due to its high rate of initial growth.

Palabras clave : Lycopersicon esculentum; water table; tomato; yield.