Precision irrigation for sustainable tomato production in Uganda

Climate change impacts are exerting increasing pressure on food systems, particularly in sub- Saharan countries like Uganda. This study aims to enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of tomato production in Uganda through the promotion of precision irrigation (PI). A field experiment was conducted over two consecutive dry seasons in the Kampala region, comparing the water productivity of two PI systems: a fully automated drip irrigation system incorporating Watermark soil moisture sensors and LoRa radio technology, and a manual drip irrigation system utilizing Chameleon sensors designed for low-income countries. Additionally, a water deficit variant was included to investigate the effects of irrigation on fruit quality parameters and potential shelf-life improvements. To gain deeper insights into the requirements for successful PI adoption, an implementation report was compiled, incorporating qualitative interviews conducted across different regions in Uganda and a comprehensive literature review. The irrigation experiment demonstrated a productivity improvement of 5t ha−1 with the automated system over the manual control, indicating the potential profitability increase of PI technology. The system using Chameleon sensors resulted in a comparable yield and showed superior crop productivity compared to the automated system. Both the field experiment and the implementation report identified financial and infrastructure challenges as the major hurdles in implementing PI systems in Uganda. Additionally, the lack of integrated pest management was found to reduce the productivity and sustainability of tomato production in Uganda. To address these challenges and enhance climate change resilience, the adoption of contextualized PI systems that enable increased dry season cropping is recommended.