Depth and duration of flooding affects subirrigated bell pepper
Researchers assessed the feasibility of using a subirrigation system on growth, yield, and nutrient status of bell pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L.) grown in 30-cm-tall (13-L) containers by measuring the effects of flooding depth (10 and 15 cm) and duration (20 and 30 minutes) and compared with drip-fertigated plants.
Subirrigated bell pepper plants exhibited a fruit number and yield comparable to those of drip-fertigated plants when the solution depth was held at 15 cm for 30 minutes. There was a substantial increase in the electrical conductivity (EC) in the medium top layers for all subirrigated plants, but this was up to 50% lower when plants were irrigated/fertigated to a 15-cm depth for 30 minutes.
The higher yield of subirrigated plants flooded to a depth of 15 cm for 30 minutes was associated with a decrease in Ca concentration in the plant tissue (−16%), probably due to a dilution effect associated with the higher biomass produced by these plants. The higher nutrient use efficiency (NUE) attributed to subirrigation systems is not only due to nutrient accumulation in the growing medium, but also to a higher uptake by the plants, as compared with drip-fertigated plants, as subirrigated plants with flooding depth and duration of 15 minutes and 30 cm contained 47% higher N, 44% P, 44% K, 17% Ca, 60% Mg, and 76% S. Subirrigation of bell pepper plants is a reliable and feasible irrigation system provided flooding depth and duration are considered.
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