ISHS Acta Horticulturae 537: III International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops
ADAPTATION OF AN IRRIGATION SCHEDULING MODEL FOR BELL PEPPER GROWN WITH PLASTICULTURE |
| Author: | E.H. Simonne |
| Keywords: | Capsicum annuum, crop factor, evapotranspiration, plastic mulch, soil water tension, water balance. |
| Abstract:
The increased competition for water between agricultural, industrial, and urban consumers creates the need for continuous improvement in irrigation practices used in commercial vegetable crop production in the subhumid zones of the Southeastern United States. An irrigation scheduling model based on the water balance and a crop factor of CF = 0.15 + 0.018 DAT - 0.00010 DAT2 (DAT=Days After Transplanting) developed for bare-ground and over-head irrigated bell pepper was modified for plasticulture and evaluated under field conditions in 1997 and 1998. Components of the water balance were adjusted to bed size and planting patterns used in plasticulture. The evaporation component in CF was removed by deleting the 0.15-intercept term. After several adjustments, the modified CF resulted in over-irrigation, as shown by soil water tension remaining under 30 kPa for water application rates ranging between 20 and 200% of the model rate. The response of bell pepper yield and grade distribution to water application rates was not significant (p>0.50). Yet, lower water application rates resulted in higher yields. Hence, we propose that 0.009DAT - 0.00005 DAT2 be used as a crop factor for bell pepper grown with plasticulture. Otherwise, a new CF should be developed. | |
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