ISHS Acta Horticulturae 627: XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Toward Ecologically Sound Fertilization Strategies for Field Vegetable Production
INTEGRATED WATER AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT FOR BELL PEPPER GROWN WITH PLASTICULTURE |
| Authors: | E. Simonne, M. Dukes, B. Hochmuth, G. Hochmuth, G. Avezou, D. Studstill, W. Davis |
| Keywords: | Capsicum annuum, drip irrigation, nitrogen |
| Abstract:
Producing economical yields of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) while conserving water and nutrients requires an integrated approach to fertilization and irrigation. Currently, specific fertility recommendations are available in Florida, but limited information exists on the interaction between fertilization and irrigation practices for bell pepper. Also, irrigation recommendations for real-time management are currently not available for most drip-irrigated vegetables in Florida. Bell pepper was grown with plasticulture under factorial combinations of three N (75%, 100% and 125% of the recommended 224 kg /ha N rate) and four irrigation (33%, 66%, 100%, and 133% of a reference rate; I3) rates. Different numbers of drip tapes, and three fertilizer injectors were used to create factorial combinations of N and irrigation rates. For I3, daily drip irrigation was based on class A pan evaporation (Ep) and a crop factor ranging between 0.20 and 1.00 depending on crop age. Total seasonal irrigation was 74,687 L/ 100 m of bed for I3. Soil water tension tended to decrease with increasing water amounts and remained under 20 kPa with the 66%I3 rate in the top 30-cm soil zone. Bell pepper yields were significantly affected by N and irrigation rates (all p<0.01). Interaction of N rate x irrigation rate was not significant for fancy and marketable yields. Fancy yield was significantly greater with 125% than with 100% N rate. Fancy and marketable yields responses to water rates were both quadratic (p<0.01) and maxima occurred at 97% and 94% of I3, respectively. A combination of 280 kg/ha of N and 95% I3 resulted in highest bell pepper yields grown with plasticulture. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
