scholarly journals Irrigation Levels Affect Plant Growth and Fruit Yield of Drip-Irrigated Bell Pepper

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 748B-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan C. Diaz-Perez* ◽  
Darbie Granberry ◽  
Kenneth Seebold ◽  
David Giddings ◽  
Denne Bertrand
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Time Domain Reflectometry ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Bell Pepper ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Irrigation Rate ◽  
Stage Of Development

Bell pepper (Capsicum annum L.) plants have a high demand for water and nutrients and are sensitive to water stress during the establishment period and fruit setting. High levels of irrigation are often applied in order to maximize yields. However, field observations suggest that excessive irrigations may negatively affect bell pepper plants. The objective was to evaluate the effects of irrigation rate on plant growth and fruit yield. The trial was conducted in Spring 2003 at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, Ga. Drip-irrigated bell pepper (`Stiletto') plants were grown on black plastic mulch in 1-m wide beds (1.8-m centers). Plants were irrigated with an amount of water that ranged from 33% to 167% the rate of evapotranspiration (ET), adjusted by crop stage of development. Soil moisture content (% by volume) over the season was continuously monitored with time domain reflectometry sensors connected to a datalogger. The results showed that the average soil moisture content for the season increased with increasing rates of irrigation. Vegetative top fresh wt. and marketable fruit yield were reduced at both, low (33% ET) and high (166% ET) rates of water application. However, irrigation rate had a stronger effect on fruit yield than on top fresh wt. Plants supplied with high irrigation rates appeared to be more chlorotic compared to plants irrigated at medium rates (100% ET). There was a tendency for higher incidences of soil borne diseases (Pythium sp., Phytophtora capsici) in plants receiving higher rates of irrigation. The conclusion is high irrigation rates (>166% ET) are not recommended since they waste water and may result in both, higher incidences of soil-borne diseases and reduced bell pepper yields.

scholarly journals Mulch Effect on Growth and Yield of Vine Vegetables

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-147
Author(s):  
A. K. M. Quamruzzaman ◽  
Ferdouse Islam ◽  
S. R. Mallick
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Fruit Number

An experiment was undertaken to identify the suitable mulch paper for different high value vegetables during the winter season of November 2019 to March 2020 at the research farm of Olericulture Division, Horticulture Research Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh. The experiment was randomized complete block design with 3 replications. Three vegetables varieties viz., netted melon, watermelon, cucumber and 3 mulch treatments viz., T1=Silver over black mulch; T2= Black mulch; T3= No mulch were included in this study. Different vegetables responded differently with the changes of mulches irrespective of different characters. Considering relationship between the soil moisture content and fruit number it was clear that fruit number, average fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter was strongly related with soil moisture content. The effect of different plastic mulches on fruit weight per plant and yield (t/ha) were significant. Mulching produced higher fruit yield per plant and fruit yield per hectare than for the control, indicating that the mulch had positive effect in generating increased fruit yield. Silver over black plastic mulch produced the highest fruit yield viz., 24.22 t/ha (cucumber), 26.37 t/ha (netted melon), 43.59 t/ha (watermelon) followed by black and no mulches. Obviously, control plot produced the lowest fruit yield.

scholarly journals Plastic-mulched Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Plant Growth and Fruit Yield and Quality as Influenced by Irrigation Rate and Calcium Fertilization

HortScience ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 774-781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Díaz-Pérez ◽  
James E. Hook
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Capsicum Annuum ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Bell Pepper ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Soilborne Diseases ◽  
Irrigation Rate ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Calcium Fertilization

Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants have a high demand for water and nutrients. Water stress on bell pepper is associated with reduced yields and incidence of blossom-end rot (BER). High irrigation rates are commonly applied to maximize yields. Excessive irrigation rates, however, may negatively affect bell pepper plants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation rates and calcium fertilization on plant growth and fruit yield and quality. Trials were conducted in the spring of 2001, 2003, and 2005 at the University of Georgia, Tifton Campus. Drip-irrigated bell pepper (‘Camelot’ or ‘Stiletto’) plants were grown on black plastic mulch. Plants were irrigated with rates that ranged from 33% to 167% of the rate of crop evapotranspiration (ETc). Results showed that irrigation at 70% ETc (2001), 67% ETc (2003), and 50% ETc (2003) were sufficient to maximize vegetative growth and fruit yield and provided yields similar to those at 100% ETc. Leaf net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance (gS) were reduced, and incidence of BER was increased with reduced irrigation rates (33% and 67% ETc). Incidences of soilborne diseases (Pythium spp. and Phytophtora capsici) tended to increase in plants receiving excessive irrigation rates (167% ETc). Irrigation rate also affected fruit quality; incidence of BER and fruit soluble solids were both increased at 33% ETc. Calcium fertilization had no effect on soil water content (SWC), plant growth, and incidence of soilborne diseases, and an inconsistent effect on fruit yield and incidence of BER. In conclusion, there is potential for use of irrigation at rates below 100% ETc. Reduced irrigation diminished the volumes of water applied and provided fruit yields similar to those at 100% ETc. Excessive irrigation rates (167% ETc or above) wasted water and resulted in both higher incidences of soilborne diseases and reduced bell pepper yields.

scholarly journals Field Calibration of TDR to Assess the Soil Moisture of Drained Peatland Surface Layers

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Gnatowski ◽  
Jan Szatyłowicz ◽  
Bogumiła Pawluśkiewicz ◽  
Ryszard Oleszczuk ◽  
Maria Janicka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dielectric Constant ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Mean Squared Error ◽  
Time Domain Reflectometry ◽  
Calibration Model ◽  
Surface Layers ◽  
Calibration Equation ◽  
North East

The proper monitoring of soil moisture content is important to understand water-related processes in peatland ecosystems. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is a popular method used for soil moisture content measurements, the applicability of which is still challenging in field studies due to requirements regarding the calibration curve which converts the dielectric constant into the soil moisture content. The main objective of this study was to develop a general calibration equation for the TDR method based on simultaneous field measurements of the dielectric constant and gravimetric water content in the surface layers of degraded peatlands. Data were collected during field campaigns conducted temporarily between the years 2006 and 2016 at the drained peatland Kuwasy located in the north-east area of Poland. Based on the data analysis, a two-slopes linear calibration equation was developed as a general broken-line model (GBLM). A site-specific calibration model (SSM-D) for the TDR method was obtained in the form of a two-slopes equation describing the relationship between the soil moisture content and the dielectric constant and introducing the bioindices as covariates relating to plant species biodiversity and the state of the habitats. The root mean squared error for the GBLM and SSM-D models were equal, respectively, at 0.04 and 0.035 cm3 cm−3.

scholarly journals EFFECTS OF HYDROPHILIC POLYMERS AND ORGANIC AMENDMENTS ON ESTABLISHMENT OF KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS.

HortScience ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 588a-588
Author(s):  
A. James Downer ◽  
Ben Faber ◽  
Richard White
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Organic Amendments ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Time Domain Reflectometry ◽  
Peat Moss ◽  
Turf Quality

Three polymers (a polyacrylamide, polyacrylate and a propenoate-propenamide copolymer) and three organic amendments (peat moss, wood shavings, and composted yardwaste) were incorporated at five rates in a sandy soil to 15cm depth. Soil moisture content was determined by time domain reflectometry and gravimetrically. Only the highest polymer rates (2928kg/ha [60#/1000sq.ft.]) produced significant increases in soil moisture content and reductions of soil bulk density. Peat moss and yardwaste increased soil water content while shavings decreased water content. Turf quality scores were not affected by polymers but were initially reduced by yardwaste and shavings.

scholarly journals Bell Pepper (Capsicum annum L.) Grown on Plastic Film Mulches: Effects on Crop Microenvironment, Physiological Attributes, and Fruit Yield

HortScience ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 1196-1204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Díaz-Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Status ◽  
Mineral Nutrients ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Bell Pepper ◽  
Plastic Film ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Soil Water Status

Plastic mulches are widely used for the production of vegetables. There are numerous studies on the use of plastic mulches for peppers, although relatively few have focused on the microenvironmental and physiological impacts of plastic mulches on bell pepper. The objectives were to determine the effects of plastic film mulches on root zone temperature (RZT), soil water status, incidence of thrips and Tomato spotted wilt (TSW), plant growth, gas exchange, accumulation of mineral nutrients, and fruit yield in bell pepper. The study was conducted in Tifton, GA, in the Fall of 2002 and the Spring of 2003 using eight colored plastic mulches. Plastic mulch color influenced the microenvironmental, physiological, and yield responses of bell pepper plants. Plastic film mulches differed in their soil-warming ability with RZTs in both spring and fall being highest in black mulches and lowest in silver mulches. The percentage of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) reflected from the mulches was highest in silver mulches and lowest in black mulches. The mean RZT under the plastic mulch decreased with increasing percentages of reflected PAR. The number of thrips per flower and the incidence of TSW in mature plants were not significantly different among plastic mulch treatments. The number of thrips per flower had no relationship with the percentage of reflected PAR or with RZT. Plastic mulch treatments had no significant effect on soil water status. Neither soil water content nor soil water potential had a relationship with RZT. In the fall season, during the first 28 days after transplanting, plant growth attributes were among the highest in silver mulches and the lowest in black mulches. Gas exchange and accumulation of mineral nutrients in the leaves and the fruit were not significantly affected by plastic mulches. Both marketable and total yields were higher on silver mulches and lowest on black mulch in the fall, whereas they were in general higher on silver with a black strip mulch and lowest on white and silver1 mulches in the spring. The reduced plant growth and fruit yields in black mulches during the fall were probably the result of the increased RZTs, and thus higher heat accumulation, that resulted in higher plant heat stress conditions compared with silver and white mulches. Fruit yield decreased with mean seasonal RZTs above 27.5 °C. The optimal range of RZT for bell pepper fruit yield was computed to be 25 to 27.5 °C or less.

Effects of fluid drilling germinating onion seeds on seedling emergence and subsequent plant growth

1984 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 461-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Finch-Savage
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Emergence Time ◽  
Sowing Dates ◽  
Germinating Seeds ◽  
Germinated Seeds ◽  
Fluid Drilling

SummaryThe seedling emergence from fluid-drilled germinating and natural onion seeds was compared at five sowing dates between 10 February and 18 May on irrigated and unirrigated plots in two experiments. In the second experiment fluid-drilled seeds selected for uniform germination were also included. There were few significant differences between the emergence of seedlings from germinating and natural seeds in the field sowings of Expt 1. However, a reduction in mean emergence time at the earliest sowing led to an increase in bulb weight while a reduction in the spread of emergence at sowing 3 led to a reduced coefficient of variation of bulb diameter at harvest. Under the less variable conditions on the irrigated plots of Expt 2 germinating seeds reduced mean emergence time and increased percentage emergence compared with natural seed at some sowings. Fluid-drilled selected germinated seeds, however, reduced mean emergence time and increased percentage emergence at every sowing and reduced the spread of emergence at all but the first sowing compared with natural seed.Low soil moisture content made seedling emergence more unpredictable and reduced the benefits gained by sowing germinated seeds. The results presented suggest that techniques to increase the proportion of germinated seeds at the point of sowing and economical methods of applying water during periods of low soil moisture following sowing are needed if the full benefits of fluid drilling are to be realized.

Soil water relations and relative turgidity on leaves in the wheat crop

1966 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 269 ◽  
Author(s):  
RA Fischer ◽  
GD Kohn
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Wheat Crop ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Plant Moisture

Trials were conducted in 1961 and 1962 at Wagga in southern New South Wales to investigate the yield physiology of the wheat crop. Various cultural treatments were applied to a single variety (Heron). The increases in evapotranspiration and associated reductions in total soil moisture content caused by early sowing, by heavier fertilizer applications, and to a lesser extent by a heavier rate of sowing were reflected in an increased plant moisture stress (reduced leaf relative turgidity) at a given time in the spring. At a given stage of development, however, relative turgidity was not much affected by time of sowing, and in fact post-flowering plant moisture stress increased with later sowing. There were only small treatment effects on the estimated depth and density of rooting. Relatively little water was extracted by crops from below 40 in.; dense crops reduced the soil moisture content throughout the root zone to less than the –15 bar value. Leaf relative turgidity at sunrise showed a consistent inverse relationship to soil moisture content in the root zone. Leaf turgidity (sunrise) was maintained at 100% until root zone moisture levels approached the –15 bar value.

scholarly journals SHORT TDR PROBES TO MEASURE WATER AND FERTILIZER ION GRADIENTS IN CONTAINER MEDIA

HortScience ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 742c-742
Author(s):  
Shaun F. Kelly ◽  
J.L Green ◽  
John S. Selker
Keyword(s):  
Porous Media ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Steel Wire ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Time Domain Reflectometry ◽  
Ion Concentrations ◽  
High Bandwidth ◽  
High Concentrations

Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) is used to measure in situ soil moisture content and salinity of porous media. Commercially available TDR systems used for field measurements have limited use in laboratory scale experiments where short high resolution probes are needed. A short TDR probe was designed for use with high bandwidth TDR instruments currently available. The probes are designed from SMA bulkhead connectors using gold-plated stainless steel wire 0.035 inches in diameter. A 20.GHz digital sampling oscilloscope (11801; Tektronix, Beaverton, Ore.) with an SD-24 TDR sampling head is used with the probes to determine water content and ion concentrations in porous media. The 7.5- and 3.0-cm-long probes were used to measure soil moisture content and ion concentrations in laboratory columns. Fertilizer and water gradients were observed by using bromide salts brought into contact with the top of laboratory columns, 7.6 cm in diameter and 18 cm long, packed with container media [1 peat: 1 vermiculite v/v)]. Soil moisture measurements in the presence of high concentrations of salts were made by insulating the probes with Teflon heat-shrinkable tubing to minimize conductivity losses.

Determining Moisture Content of Soil Layers with Time Domain Reflectometry and Micromechanics

2008 ◽  
Vol 2053 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Ick Lee ◽  
Dan G. Zollinger ◽  
Robert L. Lytton
Keyword(s):  
Dielectric Constant ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Time Domain Reflectometry ◽  
Volumetric Water Content ◽  
Dry Density

Although the moisture condition of pavement sublayers can significantly affect pavement performance, accurate interpretation of in situ soil moisture measurements has been difficult to achieve because of the limitations of existing methods. Time domain reflectometry (TDR), originally developed to detect breaks or shorts in electrical conductors, has been used for measuring parameters related to the in situ soil moisture content. However, the apparent length method currently used to determine dielectric constant ignores other electrical properties of the conducting medium that may affect the interpretation of TDR trace to determine soil moisture. Furthermore, the existing methods for computing volumetric water content ignore the variations of dry density and determine the model parameters with assumption or regression analysis. These deficiencies can, in many cases, create a significant systematic error in the final determination of volumetric water content. To minimize these errors and improve the accuracy of moisture content estimate, a new three-step approach was proposed. The approach uses the transmission line equation to calculate the dielectric constant, conductivity, and reflectivity of a soil mixture. A micromechanics and self-consistent scheme was used to determine the volumetric moisture content and dry density on the basis of calibrated values of the solid and water dielectric constants. The system identification method was used iteratively to solve for dielectric parameters, soil moisture content, and dry density values. The validation of the new approach with ground-truth data indicated that the calculated errors were significantly less than those of existing method.

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