Productive viability of sweet pepper (Capsicum chinense [J.] cv. Lupita) using water management with different soil water tensions

Abstract

Green pepper has a great prominence in the cuisine of Pará. This plant is cultivated using a low technological level along its production chain. However, in the last few years, there has been an increase in planted area due to a national and international recognition of this vegetable, because it is a substitute for bell pepper. This study aims to evaluate the effects of different soil water tension on the productivity of green pepper cv. Lupita. The experiment design was randomized blocks with four replications. The treatments consisted of five soil water tensions: 15, 25, 35, 45 and 55 kPa as indicative for the moment of irrigation. It is concluded that, to obtain high yield and large fruit sizes (longitudinal and transversal diameter), irrigation should be carried out at the moment when soil water tension is close to 33 kPa at a depth of 0.20 m. To obtain a better efficiency in water use, the irrigation should be performed at a tension close to 30 kPa.