Water management for Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) crop in sub-tropical humid region

Abstract

Irrigation scheduling is determining the amount of water to be applied and when to achieve desired crop production and quality, to maximize water conservation, and to limit any adverse effects that may be experienced by the environment, such as the leaching of nutrients beneath the root zone of the crop. The study was carried out at the experimental site of Vegetable Research Centre (VRC) of G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India, to investigate the effect of different soil moisture regimes on the yield of chilli crops and growth parameters related to irrigation scheduling. Also, as part of the study, it was determined the minimum irrigation amount that needs to be provided in order to achieve significant returns for the crop, along with recommended guidelines for measuring soil moisture status. Four Treatments of irrigation that of four different Maximum allowable depletion (MAD) levels at 20% (T1), 40% (T2) 60% (T3) and 80% (T4) were taken for this study. Soil moisture content was estimated using gravimetric method periodically in 0-20, 20-40, and 40-60 cm soil profiles. Field experiments were conducted on chilli (also known as chilli pepper) during 2021-2022. Four irrigation treatments were maintained based on the maximum allowable depletion (MAD) of available soil water. Field experiments showed that irrigation schedule with 40% (T2) maximum allowable depletion of available soil water gives the maximum water use efficiency while the highest yield was obtained as 7624 kg/ha (T1) for chilli crop. It was also found that for scheduling of irrigation for chilli crop, 0-20 cm soil profile should be considered as most of the water was found to be extracted from this layer by the plant.