Influence of the irrigation regime, transplanting and harvesting time on the yield of tomato for processing

The CNR Irrigation Institute carried out a research on processing tomato under different agronomic techniques, with the aim of lenghtening the cultivation span of the crop, and thus to guarantee a more continuous delivery of marketable product to the canneries. From March to September 1986, three varieties (Earlymech, Rio Fuego and Novamech) were grown under two irrigation regimes (seasonal water volumes equal to 100% and 40% of the ETM respectively) at a CNR experimental farm, which is situated at 25 km north of Naples (41°.08N,14°.12E) Within each variety and each irrigation regime, the influence of three transplanting dates and four harvesting times on the crop yield were studied. The harvesting period ranged from the end of July to the end of August with a right combination of tomato cultivars and transplanting dates, which should not be postponed later than the middle of May, limited to the conditions of the experiment.