Economic Assessment of Irrigation with Desalinated Seawater in Greenhouse Tomato Production in SE Spain

This study assesses the impact of irrigating with desalinated seawater (DSW) on profitability greenhouse tomato in south-eastern Spain, comparing different water-quality sources both traditional sanding cultivation and soilless hydroponic production. The assessment is based combination partial crop budgeting techniques field data from LIFE DESEACROP Project experimental activities. Our results show that exclusive use DSW for production increases fertilization costs by 20% systems 34% cultivation, water 30% 48% soil cultivation. As a result, increase 5% 3% are reduced when blended brackish water. However, lower salinity DSW, compared conventional resources area, yield profitability. Soilless would also but only if good quality available. materialization potential benefits requires improving through increased DSW. Otherwise, system, better adapted to area’s poor soils bad water, be more profitable.