The results of the application of the GesCoN decision support system (DSS) during the 2018 growing season on six commercial farms for assisting growers in the management of fertigation of the processing tomato crop are reported. The farms were selected within the Capitanata area (Foggia province, Italy) and to have a representative coverage of all the area, which is a quite large flat territory where processing tomato cultivation covers about 20,000 ha. To evaluate the agronomical effects of the application of the DSS, two main plots were created on each farm with two managements of fertigation: i) management following to the daily indications provided by the DSS, and ii) management according to the empirical farmer procedures of each farm. The input of meteorological data into the DSS was carried out automatically and all the communications between the DSS and the growers were performed through daily smartphone notifications. The results indicate that the use of the DSS allowed an average reduction of 24% for the seasonal irrigation water volume and 7% for the N fertilizer application. Despite these savings in water and N, the total and marketable yield was not affected by the fertigation management methods. Besides, no significant effects were detected on some qualitative parameters of tomato fruits (dry matter, solid soluble and titratable acidity content). During the growing season, farmers managed the crop fertigation without experiencing difficulties using the DSS and in the end, they found the whole system very easy-to-use and useful in managing fertigation, while they suggested improving the information provided by the DSS by adding further inputs on the type and the quantity of N fertilizer to use. After its first calibration and validation on processing tomato and these preliminary large scale tests, the GesCoN DSS is currently functioning as a service on the platform www.ecofert.it for managing fertigation in processing tomato crop.
Agronomical effects and response of growers in the application of the GesCoN DSS at the commercial farm scale
Elia A.Conceptualization
;Lazzizera C.Membro del Collaboration Group
;La Rotonda P.Membro del Collaboration Group
;Conversa G.
Conceptualization
2022-01-01
Abstract
The results of the application of the GesCoN decision support system (DSS) during the 2018 growing season on six commercial farms for assisting growers in the management of fertigation of the processing tomato crop are reported. The farms were selected within the Capitanata area (Foggia province, Italy) and to have a representative coverage of all the area, which is a quite large flat territory where processing tomato cultivation covers about 20,000 ha. To evaluate the agronomical effects of the application of the DSS, two main plots were created on each farm with two managements of fertigation: i) management following to the daily indications provided by the DSS, and ii) management according to the empirical farmer procedures of each farm. The input of meteorological data into the DSS was carried out automatically and all the communications between the DSS and the growers were performed through daily smartphone notifications. The results indicate that the use of the DSS allowed an average reduction of 24% for the seasonal irrigation water volume and 7% for the N fertilizer application. Despite these savings in water and N, the total and marketable yield was not affected by the fertigation management methods. Besides, no significant effects were detected on some qualitative parameters of tomato fruits (dry matter, solid soluble and titratable acidity content). During the growing season, farmers managed the crop fertigation without experiencing difficulties using the DSS and in the end, they found the whole system very easy-to-use and useful in managing fertigation, while they suggested improving the information provided by the DSS by adding further inputs on the type and the quantity of N fertilizer to use. After its first calibration and validation on processing tomato and these preliminary large scale tests, the GesCoN DSS is currently functioning as a service on the platform www.ecofert.it for managing fertigation in processing tomato crop.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
