Agronomy Journal Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education
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Published online 1 May 1982
Published in Agron J 74:556-561 (1982)
© 1982 American Society of Agronomy
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
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Growth and Yield Response of Chile Pepper to Trickle Irrigation1

F. Beese, R. Horton and P. J. Wierenga2

Optimizing rates of water application to irrigated crops is an important method for conserving water in arid areas. Trickle irrigation is one method of applying water to crops with minimal losses. This field study was conducted to determine chile (Capsicum annuum L.) growth and development when irrigated by trickle irrigation at different levels of water application. Chile peppers were grown on a 2-ha field irrigated with a trickle irrigation system. Water application rates of 0.8, 1.2, and 1.4 times a control treatment were maintained from mid-June (74 days after emergence) to maturation in September. Throughout the growing season measurements were made of leaf area index, and of the accumulation of dry matter in stems, leaves, roots, and pods. The data show a clear response of the rate of leaf area development and dry matter production to water application rates. From the start of treatments the dryer treatments had lower rates of leaf area development and dry matter production, resulting in lower final yields of above and below ground plant parts. However, water use efficiencies varied little and were between 8.1 and 8.2 cm actual ET per ton of dry mass production, The results indicate that limiting the water applied to chile during the period of rapid vegetative growth reduces final yield, hut has limited effect on water use efficiency.

Key Words: Dry matter production • Leaf area index • Crop water use • Water conservation • Water use efficiency • Capsicum annum

1 This study was supported in part with funds from the German Research Foundation and from the New Mexico Interstate Streams Commission through the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute. Journal article 730, Agricultural Exp. Stn., New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM 88003.

2 Soil scientist, Univ. of Goettingen, research assistant and professor, Dep. of Agronomy.

Received for publication February 9, 1981.




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Copyright © 1982 by the American Society of Agronomy.