We compared two water-saving irrigation practices, deficit irrigation (DI) and partial rootzone
drying (PRD), for their effects on growth and quality of ‘Ancho St. Luis’ hot pepper (Capsicum
annum L.). The treatments were: commercial irrigation (CI) considered as the control, irrigating both
sides of the rootzone with half of the volume of commercial irrigation considered as deficit irrigation, and alternating irrigation between two sides of the rootzone with half the volume of commercial irrigation at each irrigation time considered as partial rootzone drying. Midday leaf water potentials of partial rootzone drying and deficit irrigation plants were lower by 0.15 and 0.30 MPa, respectively, than of commercial irrigation plants from 130 days after sowing. Total fresh mass of fruit was reduced by 19
and 34.7% in PRD and deficit irrigation, respectively, compared to CI. Fruit number per plant was reduced by more
than 20% in PRD and DI compared to CI. Total dry mass of fruit was similar among the treatments. At
harvest, DI fruit had 21% higher total soluble solids concentration and better colour development than
other treatments. Although incidence of blossom-end rot was high in PRD and DI fruit, more than
80% of fruit from PRD was not affected. DI and PRD saved 170 and 164 l of water, respectively,
compared to CI and they could be feasible irrigation strategies for hot pepper production where the
benefit from saving water outweighs the decrease in total fresh mass of fruit.
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