Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the effect of supplemental irrigation levels on vegetative parameters of bell pepper grown in open field and under shade mesh. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications and ten treatments in factorial scheme (four irrigation levels combined with shade). Irrigation treatments consisted in 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 rate of crop evapotranspiration and the control (no-irrigation).Shading treatment was of 50% reduction of the photosynthetically active radiation compared to open field conditions. Vegetative parameters were influenced by irrigation. The growth rate of plants present no significant difference. The growth rate of stem diameter present difference, being treatments 0.50 and 0.75 the highest.Significant interaction was present in the rate of chlorophyll, dry matter, leaf area index and number of leaves per plant. Plots under shade mesh showed the highest growth rate in plant height and stem diameter and leaf area index, number of leaves per plant, dry matter and lower chlorophyll index. As irrigation strategy, considering the water use efficient and vegetative characteristics of bell pepper, the most favorable irrigation levels were 0.5 and 0.75 of ETc, under shade and in open field, respectively, without affecting the vegetative parameters and yield. Key words: Capsicum annuum, water stress, water use efficiency, drip irrigation.
Highlights
Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a member of the Solanaceous family, native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America (Echer et al, 2002; Filgueira, 2003; Souza et al, 2011)
This study aims to evaluate the effect of supplemental irrigation levels on vegetative parameters of bell pepper grown in open field and under shade mesh
Irrigation treatments consisted in 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 rate of crop evapotranspiration and the control.Shading treatment was of 50% reduction of the photosynthetically active radiation compared to open field conditions
Summary
Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a member of the Solanaceous family, native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America (Echer et al, 2002; Filgueira, 2003; Souza et al, 2011). It is an important crop in many parts of the world, given their economic importance, ranking second in world production. The increment in crop production is able to be possible only knowing the pushing effects of irrigation and radiation on plant growth and yield (Kara and Yildirim, 2015). Plant water, nutrient uptake and transpiration rate are closely related with solar radiation (Adams, 1992)
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