Performance of Chilli Irrigated with Saline Water through Drip System
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Authors
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K. ANNY MRUDHULA
Saline Water Scheme, Bapatla, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh - 522 101, India
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P. VENKATA SUBBAIAH
Saline Water Scheme, Bapatla, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh - 522 101, India
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M. SUNIL KUMAR
Geospatial Technical Centre, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Lam, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh -522 034, India
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R.L. MEENA
AICRP on SAS & USW, ICAR- Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana -132 001, India
Keywords:
Chillies, Drip irrigation, Electrical conductivity, Growth, Saline water, YieldAbstract
Ensuring the quality of irrigation water is crucial for sensitive crops like chillies. In tropical regions, poor quality water is commonly used for irrigation, where water quality significantly impacts agricultural yields more than water quantity. The experiment attempted to determine the optimal salt level of irrigation water for chilli crop using a drip system. The study was conducted at the Saline Water Scheme, Agricultural College Farm in Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh, India. The study included five different electrical conductivity (EC) levels of irrigation water with four replications, utilizing a randomized block design across three years during the Rabi, season from 2021 to 2023. The best irrigation water produced the tallest plant height (79.5 cm) and the highest number of branches plant-1 (5.6), comparable to 2 dS m-1 EC irrigation. The highest number of green pods plant-1 (74.2) and yield (28.5 t ha-1) were achieved under irrigation with the best water. Indicators like green pods per plant were lowest when watered with 8 dS m-1 saline irrigation. Saline irrigation did not influence soil pH, but its EC reached the highest when irrigated with 8 dS m-1 water. The salt distribution had become more concentrated by the end of the season, with an electrical conductivity of 0.4 to 0.6 dS m-1 or higher. In comparison to higher salinity levels, the use of 2 dS m-1 EC saline water has demonstrated success with minimal detrimental effects on chilli growth, and yield.
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