PRODUCTIVITY OF JALAPENO PEPPER UNDER DRIP IRRIGATION AND PLASTIC MULCH CONDITIONS

Abstract

Modern irrigation methods such as tape drip irrigation are important tools for increasing water use efficiency and crop productivity, particularly in arid regions where water is scarce and represents a limiting resource for agricultural production. The use of such irrigation methods together with plastic mulching reduces direct soil evaporation and improves the microenvironment around the roots, promoting a better crop development and higher levels of water use efficiency and productivity. In this study we evaluated the response of Jalapeno pepper plants (Capsicum annum L.) on fresh fruit, to different drip irrigation and plastic mulch treatments: two water application levels (20-60 and 30-70 % of evaporation) and six plastic mulch colors of 150 μm thicknesses (black, red, white, blue, green), plus a treatment without mulching. The yield of the high irrigation level (48.8 t ha^-1) was higher than that of the low irrigation level (42.2 t ha^-1). Although there were no differences among plastic color treatments, the mulching treatments were almost 50 % higher in yield and water productivity than the treatment without mulching. Mulching treatments also produced higher amounts of dry matter and leaf area than those of treatments without mulching. The average yield of mulching treatments was four times higher than the average yield (11.3 t ha^-1) obtained at the Laguna Region during the three previous years.