Effects of Irrigation System on Pepper Transplant Production

Abstract

A study was conducted in Fall 1995 at the Horticultural Greenhouse, North Carolina State University, to examine growth of banana (`Banana Supreme'), bell (`Camelot'), and jalapeno (`Mitla') pepper under overhead (OI), ebb and flood (EF), and float (F) irrigation systems. Plant emergence was fastest in the float system, but slowest in the OI system. Irrigation treatment was highly significant for all weekly sampling dates for root and shoot fresh weight, root and shoot dry weight, root length, stem diameter, height, and leaf area. Stem diameter of F plants was greater than both EF and OI. However, EF and OI plants had similar diameter regardless of sampling date. Root fresh weight did not differ among pepper cultivars. By 39 days after planting (DAP), F plants had 33% greater root fresh weight, by 46 DAP they were almost double, and at 53 DAP they were 44% larger compared to the EF treatment. Float plants had greatest root length, but EF and OI plants had denser root mass (visual observation) in the transplant container cell. At 46 and 53 DAP, EF plants were generally taller than OI plants, and by 60 DAP this difference was almost 30%. Float plants were about double the height of the EF and OI plants and this difference continued until the experiment terminated. Bell pepper had the greatest shoot fresh weight at all sampling dates after 25 DAP, while jalapeno was greater than banana only up to 39 DAP. Beyond 39 DAP, banana pepper fresh weight surpassed jalapeno pepper. By 53 DAP, shoot fresh weight of float transplants were almost 3 times greater than EF or OI plants. Float plants reached a satisfactory size (137 mm height) for transplanting by 8 weeks. Height of EF and OI plants at this time was 68 and 48 mm, respectively. This experiment is being repeated in Spring 1996.