Articles
Influence of irrigation regimes and fertigation levels on fruit yield and quality of polyhouse-grown bell pepper
Article number
1227_87
Pages
685 – 692
Language
English
Abstract
An experiment was carried out during 2014-15 to study the fruit yield and quality of bell pepper grown under a naturally ventilated polyhouse with three irrigation regimes [I1: 40, I2: 60 and I3: 80% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc)] and three fertigation levels (F1: 50, F2: 75 and F3: 100% of recommended dose of fertilizers) along with a control (drip irrigation at 100% ETc + soil application of fertilizers). Daily measured outside evaporation ranged from 1.9 to 14.4 mm day-1 during cropping season.
Cumulative water requirements under the different irrigation regimes were 793, 635, 476 and 317 mm for 100, 80, 60 and 40% of ETc, respectively.
Irrigation replenishment at 60 and 80% of ETc were at par with significantly higher fruit yield (8.10 and 8.16 kg m-2, respectively), moisture content (92.84 and 93.05%) and crude fibre (2.33 and 2.28%). The maximum total dietary fibre content (2.50%) occurred under 60% of ETc.
Ascorbic acid (171.46 mg 100 g-1) and total soluble solids (5.38 °Brix) contents were significantly highest at 40% of ETc irrigation regime.
Among the fertigation levels, F2 (75%) and F3 (100%) were at par with regard to fruit yield and most of the quality parameters.
All the interactions of I×F outperformed the control with respect to fruit yield and the majority of the fruit quality parameters.
From this study, it is concluded that the combination of irrigation replenishment at 60% of ETc and fertigation with 75% recommended fertilizer dose (I1×F2) was optimal for obtaining a higher yield in bell pepper with better quality fruits, along with savings of 40% of irrigation water and 25% of fertilizers.
Cumulative water requirements under the different irrigation regimes were 793, 635, 476 and 317 mm for 100, 80, 60 and 40% of ETc, respectively.
Irrigation replenishment at 60 and 80% of ETc were at par with significantly higher fruit yield (8.10 and 8.16 kg m-2, respectively), moisture content (92.84 and 93.05%) and crude fibre (2.33 and 2.28%). The maximum total dietary fibre content (2.50%) occurred under 60% of ETc.
Ascorbic acid (171.46 mg 100 g-1) and total soluble solids (5.38 °Brix) contents were significantly highest at 40% of ETc irrigation regime.
Among the fertigation levels, F2 (75%) and F3 (100%) were at par with regard to fruit yield and most of the quality parameters.
All the interactions of I×F outperformed the control with respect to fruit yield and the majority of the fruit quality parameters.
From this study, it is concluded that the combination of irrigation replenishment at 60% of ETc and fertigation with 75% recommended fertilizer dose (I1×F2) was optimal for obtaining a higher yield in bell pepper with better quality fruits, along with savings of 40% of irrigation water and 25% of fertilizers.
Authors
M. Dhotre, S.M. Mantur, M.S. Biradar
Keywords
ascorbic acid, crop evapotranspiration (ETc), crude fibres, dietary fibres, TSS
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