Effectiveness of Measures to Reduce the Influence of Global Climate Change on Tomato Cultivation in Solariums—Case Study: Crișurilor Plain, Bihor, Romania

Abstract

Tomatoes, one of the most appreciated vegetables consumed, are crops well adapted for cultivation in arid and semi-arid conditions, with the success of large yields guaranteed by covering water consumption through irrigation. Solar Pumps—SP are driven by Photovoltaic Panels—PV (SPAPV), eliminating the dependence on electricity or diesel; they are environmentally friendly because they generate carbon-free electricity, and the cost of operation and maintenance is lower. In order to preserve the water administered by drip to the tomato crop grown in solariums, mulching is used. In Husasău de Tinca, in the Crișurilor Plain, the cultivation of tomato varieties without mulching (WM) and with mulching with black foil (MBF) was studied. To answer the question “How effective are water conservation measures in terms of energy independence?”, two variants of SPAPVs, direct pumping (ADP) and storage tank (AST) were simulated. It is proposed to determine the water consumption of tomatoes (ETRo), using the temperatures inside the solarium. In 2016, the average temperatures during the vegetation period with insurance of over 20%, were observed. The specific investment (SI) is 214,795 Euro ha−1 in the case of ADP and respectively 202,990 Euro ha−1 in the case of ATS. The payback period (IPT) is between 2.68 years and 2.53 years for the ADP variant and between 1.63 years and 1.54 years for the ATS variant. The indications for water use and irrigation water use show that in the MBF variant, the water administered by localized irrigation is better utilized than in the WM variant. The novelty of this study is the evaluation of the effectiveness of measures to reduce the effects of global climate change on tomatoes grown in solariums, useful for forecasting and watering restrictions, water consumption is determined from the air temperature measured inside the solarium, with insurance of over 20%. Taking into account the working hypotheses, the distribution of irrigation water in the solarium, with the help of SPAPVs, for tomatoes grown in the MBF variant, and a drip irrigation arrangement with ATS, the energy independence of the farm is ensured, the yields obtained are economically efficient, and the irrigation water is used rationally.