Pepper

This section presents information on water relations and water management

of pepper and provides links to other sources of information.

Crop Description and Climate Water Requirements

Water Supply and Crop Yield Water Uptake

Irrigation Scheduling Irrigation Methods

Yield Related Links

Crop Description and Climate

Pepper (Capsicum annum and Capsicum frutescens) is thought to originate from tropical
America. Most of the peppers grown belong to C. annum but the small, pungent peppers belong
to C. frutescens. Present world production is about 19 million tons fresh fruit from 1.5 million ha.
(FAOSTAT, 2001).

Pepper thrives in climates with growing season temperatures in the range of 18 to 27°C during
the day and 15 to 18° C during the night. Lower night temperatures result in greater branching
and more flowers; warmer night temperatures induce earlier flowering and this effect is more
pronounced as light intensity increases.

The crop is grown extensively under rainfed conditions and high yields are obtained with rainfall
of 600 to 1250 mm, well-distributed over the growing season. Heavy rainfall during the
flowering period causes flower shedding and poor fruit setting, and during the ripening period
rotting of fruits.

Light-textured soils with adequate water holding capacity and drainage are preferred. Optimum
pH is 5.5 to 7.0 and acid soils require liming. Waterlogging, even for short periods, causes leaf
shedding. Fertilizer requirements are 100 to 170 kg/ha N, 25 to 50 kg/ha P and 550 to 100 kg/ha
K.

The crop is moderately sensitive to soil salinity, except in the seedling stage when it is more
sensitive. Yield decrease at different levels of ECe is: 0% at ECe 1.5 mmhos/cm, 10% at 2.2,
25% at 3.3, 50% at 5.1 and 100% at ECe 8.5 mmhos/cm.

Seeds are sown in nursery beds which in the cooler climates are sometimes enclosed and heated
since soil temperatures in the range of 20 to 24°C are considered optimum for germination.
Seedlings of 10 to 20 cm height are transplanted in the field after 25 to 35 days. The length of the
total growing period varies with climate and variety but in general it takes 120 to 150 days from
sowing to the latest harvest. Prior to transplanting, the seedlings raised in enclosed and heated
nurseries are hardened by increased ventilation. The plants are sometimes topped 10 days before
transplanting to encourage branching. Plant spacing is 0.4 to 0.6 m x 0.9 m. For production of
fruits for canning, closer spacings are sometimes used. Flowering starts 1 to 2 months after
transplanting with first picking of green peppers 1 month later. Thereafter, ripe, red peppers are
picked at 1 to 2 week intervals for up to 3 months. Ripe chillies are semi-dried for 3 to 15 days,
with the final weight being about 25 percent of the fresh fruit weight.

The graph below depicts the crop stages of pepper, and the table summarises the main crop
coefficients used for water management.

Stages of Development Plant Region

date
Crop Initial Crop Mid- Late Total
characteristic Development season
Stage length, 25/30 35 40 20 125 Apr/Jun Europe and
days Medit.
 30 40 110 30 210 Oct.
Arid Region
Depletion
0.2 >> 0.3 0.5 0.3
Coefficient, p
Root Depth,
0.25 >> >> 0.8 -
m
Crop
Coefficient, 0.6 >> 1.05 0.9 -
Kc
Yield
Response - - - - 1.1
Factor, Ky

Water Requirements

Total water requirements (ETm) are 600 to 900 mm and up to 1250 mm for long growing
periods and several pickings. The crop coefficient (kc) relating reference evapotranspiration
(ETo) to maximum evapotranspiration (ETm) is 0.4 following transplanting, 0.95 to 1. 1
during full cover and for fresh peppers 0.8 to 0.9 at time of harvest.

Water Supply And Crop Yield

The relationships between relative yield decrease (1 - Ya/Ym) and relative evapotranspiration
deficit for the total growing period of root yield are shown in the figure below.
The relationships between relative yield decrease (1 - Ya/Ym) and soil water depletion for
pepper are shown in the figure below.
For high yields, an adequate water supply and relatively moist soils are required during the
total growing period. Reduction in water supply during the growing period in general has an
adverse effect on yield and the greatest reduction in yield occurs when there is a continuous
water shortage until the time of first picking. The period at the beginning of the flowering
period is most sensitive to water shortage and soil water depletion in the root zone during this
period should not exceed 25 per-cent. Water shortage just prior and during early flowering
reduces the number of fruits. The effect of water deficit on yield during this period is greater
under conditions of high temperature and low humidity. Controlled irrigation is essential for
high yields because the crop is sensitive to both over and under irrigation.

With poor quality (saline) water the yield of first pickings is reduced but the effect is less
pronounced on later pickings. Sprinkling with poor quality (saline) water causes leaf burn and
'nose rot' of the fruits. Water deficits during yield formation period lead to shrivelled and
malformed fruits. The pungent quality of the fruit (hotness) can to a certain degree be
influenced by water supply.

Under conditions of limited water supply, total production is increased by meeting full crop
water requirements over a limited area, rather than by extending the area and partially meeting
the crop water requirements.

Water Uptake

Pepper has a tap root which is broken at the time of transplanting and a profusely branched
lateral root system subsequently develops. Root depth can extend up to 1 m but under
irrigation roots are concentrated mainly in the upper 0.3m soil depth. Normally 100 percent of
the water uptake occurs in the first 0.5 to 1.0 m soil depth (D = 0.5-1.0 m). Under conditions
when maximum evapotranspiration is 5 to 6 mm/day, 25 to 30 percent of the total available
soil water can be depleted until soil water uptake wi 11 be reduced (p=0.25 to 0.30).

Irrigation Scheduling

For optimum yield levels the soil water depletion in most climates should not exceed 30 to 40
percent of the total available soil water. Due to the low depletion level light irrigation
applications are required. Irrigation frequencies of 4 to 7 days are common. When water
supply is short, irrigation should preferably be adequate up to the first picking and savings
may be made thereafter.

Irrigation Methods

Peppers are grown under surface, sprinkler and drip irrigation. With sprinkler irrigation, yields
tend to be higher under light applications as compared to heavy intensity sprinkling. However,
with poor quality water, heavy intensity and large amounts are generally preferred with
sprinkler irrigation because of reduced leaf burning and improved leaching of salts. The crop
is particularly suitable for drip irrigation where very high yields can be obtained.

Yield

Yields vary greatly with climate and length of growing period, e.g. number of pickings. Under
irrigation commercial yields are in the range of 10 to 15 ton/ha fresh fruit and 20 to 25 ton/ha
are obtained under favourable climatic conditions. However, the marketable yield percentage
may vary. Number of pickings is 1 for machine harvesting and up to 6 for hand picking,
depending on the length of the harvesting period. The water utilization efficiency for
harvested yield (Ey) for fresh pepper containing about 90 percent moisture varies between 1.5
and 3.0 kg/m3.