1574 KB43 KB200420252025Ammari, AbdelhadiMeddi, MohamedTankeuoo Kopa, Imerinaletnik:12113 str.številka:2DOI:10.14720/aas.2025.121.2.22121ISSN:1854-1941COBISSID_HOST:242796291URN:URN:NBN:SI:doc-NFNNCHE7enZaložba Univerze v LjubljaniActa agriculturae SlovenicairrigationMitidja plainmulchnamakanjeplanota Mitidjapomanjkanje vodeprekrivkasoil protectionsustainabilitytrajnostnostučinkovitost namakanja (EA)water application efficiency (EA)water scarcityzaščita talCombining mulching and drip irrigation for water conservation in tomato crops| case of Mitidja plain (Algeria)|Water scarcity in agriculture necessitates inno-vative practices for sustainable water management. This study evaluated the effects of organic mulching, specifically a mixture (composed of wood chips, sawdust, and wheat straw in equal proportions) and recycled crop waste (RCW), combined with drip irrigation, on water conservation in tomato crops cultivated in the Mitidja Plain, Algeria. Field experiments were conducted from July to October 2023, comparing mulched and non-mulched plots under surface and subsurface drip irrigation (SSDI). Results showed that the mixture mulch with SSDI saved 29.6 % of water, while RCW saved 22.2 %, compared to surface irrigation. Mulching regulated soil moisture, tempera-ture, and electrical conductivity, though water application efficiency slightly decreased (96.1 % for mixture, 96.4 % for RCW vs. 97.1 % for control). However, the slight soil acidification observed in mulched plots (pH 6.20–6.52) warrants attention, as it may influence nutrient availability over time. Despite this, soil organic matter (OM) remained stable (1.09 %–1.70 %), confirming that mulching enhances soil fertility without compromising its structure. These findings highlight the potential of combining organic mulching with drip irrigation for sustain-able water management in tomato cultivation, offering practical insights for farmers in arid regionsPomanjkanje vode v kmetijstvu zahteva ino-vativne prakse za trajnostno upravljanje z vodo. Ta študija je ovrednotila učinke organskih prekrivk (mešanica iz enakih deležev lesnih sekancev, žagovine in pšenične slame) ter recikliranih kmetijskih ostankov (RCW), kombiniranih s kapljičnim namakanjem, na varčevanje z vodo pri pridelavi paradižnika na planoti Mitidja v Alžiriji. Terenski poskusi so potekali od julija do oktobra 2023, pri čemer so primerjali prekrite in neprekrite parcele pri površinskem in podpovršinskem kapljičnem namakanju (SSDI). Rezultati so pokazali, da je mešanica z SSDI prihranila 29,6 % vode, RCW pa 22,2 % v primerjavi s površinskim namakanjem. Prekrivka je uravnavala vlažnost, temperaturo in električno prevodnost tal, čeprav se je učinkovitost namakanja rahlo zmanjšala (96,1 % za mešanico, 96,4 % za RCW v primerjavi s 97,1 % pri kontrolni skupini). Kljub temu je rahlo zakisanje tal v prekritih parcelah (pH 6,20–6,52) potrebno spremljati, saj lahko sčasoma vpliva na dostopnost hranil. Organska snov v tleh (OM) je ostala stabilna (1,09 %–1,70 %), kar potrjuje, da prekrivka izboljšuje rodovitnost tal brez ogrožanja njihove strukture. Te ugotovitve poudarjajo potencial kombinacije organske prekrivke s kapljičnim namakanjem za trajnostno upravljanje z vodo pri pridelavi paradižnika, kar ponuja praktične vpoglede za kmete v sušnih območjihTEXTznanstveno časopisjejournalsSlovenian National E-content AggregatorNational and University Library of SloveniaUniverza v Ljubljani, Biotehniška fakulteta