Estimation of the water requirements of greenhouse tomato crop using multiple regression models

Water utilization by crops, namely tomato, within greenhouses is one of the most significant factors in determining yield. Daily water consumption by tomato plants were calculated, to determine the actual evapotranspiration and transpiration rates, as well as the incorporation measurement of climatic variables and weekly determinations of fresh and dry weights of the plants. Estimations of daily evapotranspiration and transpiration rates by the tomato plants were calculated using multiple regression models. The best models for estimating, both the evapotranspiration and transpiration, had adjusted R² values greater than 0.9. Using the multiple obtained regression models it is possible to estimate the water needs of tomato plants under greenhouse conditions from readily available variables. The aim of this study was to generate regression models in order to determine the crop water requirements of greenhouse tomato.