The present investigation was undertaken for the period of two years (2004 and 2005) to evaluate the effect of various levels of water and N application through drip irrigation on red hot pepper yield, Water Use Efficiency (WUE) and Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE). In this experiment various combination of three irrigation treatments (Drip irrigation at 0.5 and 1.0 × Epan, check basin method of irrigation at 1.0 × Epan) and three nitrogen levels (50, 75 and 100% of recommended nitrogen) were compared in split plot design having three replications. The results revealed that when the same quantity of water and nitrogen (100% of recommended) was supplied through drip irrigation system, it increased the red hot pepper yield to 277.4 q ha-1 (an increase of 28.4%) under check basin method of irrigation. In check basin method of irrigation, the highest red hot pepper yield (216.1 q ha-1) obtained at 100% of recommended N, while in drip irrigation at 1.0 × Epan, the yield was highest at 75% of recommended N. When water and nitrogen was supplied through drip at 0.5 × Epan, the yield remained statistically same at all the levels of nitrogen, however proved superior over drip irrigation at 1.0 × Epan at all the levels of N. When half the recommended amount of N was supplied through drip at 0.5 × Epan., WUE and NUE increased by 232.1 and 38.7% over check basin method of irrigation. At lower level of drip irrigation 0.5 × Epan, Root length increased significantly with drip irrigation treatments as compared to check basin method of irrigation and found maximum (36.3 m) at lower level of drip irrigation 0.5 × Epan. Thus drip irrigation at 0.5 × Epan is beneficial for red hot pepper in term of yield, better morphological characters, viz, plant height, number of branches, root length, size and weight of fruits along with 58.6% saving of irrigation water over check basin method of irrigation.

application rates, basin irrigation, branches, crop yield,fertigation, fruits, nitrogen fertilizers, plant height, plant waterrelations, roots, trickle irrigation, water use efficiency, India,Punjab (India), Capsicum annuum, South Asia, Asia, Developing Countries,Commonwealth of Nations, India, countries, Capsicum, Solanaceae,Solanales, dicotyledons, angiosperms, Spermatophyta, plants, eukaryotes,check basin irrigation, fertirrigation, Horticultural Crops (FF003) (NewMarch 2000), Plant Water Relations (FF062), Plant Production (FF100),Fertilizers and other Amendments (JJ700), Soil Water Management(Irrigation and Drainage) (JJ800) (Revised June 2002) [formerly SoilWater Management]

• Journal Article

• Crop Water Use
• Irrigation Management
• Irrigation Systems