*3.7. Improved Irrigation Schedule for Tomato*

The optimized irrigation schedule for the dry season tomato cropping indicated the need for longer irrigation intervals (6–13 days) in the early crop growth stage and during ripening. In contrast, irrigation intervals should be shorter (2–8 days) in the flowering and yield formation stages (Figure 11). The simulated NIR for tomato ranged from 21 to 29 mm per irrigation event and from 311 to 495 mm per season. The GIA for tomato was estimated as 38–52 mm per irrigation event and 566–900 mm per season, assuming a 55% application efficiency.

**Figure 11.** Improved irrigation schedule for tomato cultivation, based on the example of BF1 in the Bongo irrigation scheme. Gross irrigation amount was estimated using a field application efficiency of 55% [19].

The improved irrigation schedule would result in 4–14% yield increment while saving 130–1325 mm (22–52% of GIA) of water, which is otherwise lost through percolation beyond the root zone under the traditional irrigation practice in either scheme (Table 5).


**Table 5.** Potential water saving and yield increase under the improved irrigation schedule as simulated in AquaCrop.
