PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF PEPPER (Capsicum annum) TO DEFICIT IRRIGATIONIRRIGATION IN ARBA MINCH, ETHIOPIA UNDER DIFFERENT METHODS OF FURROW

Abstract

Water scarcity is a major constraint for the production in arid and semi-arid areas. Deficit irrigation and application method in furrow irrigation are important concerns to improve crop water use efficiency in water scarce area. The field experiment was carried out at Amibara private irrigation project, Arba Minch south Ethiopia, during 2020 pepper growing season with objectives of evaluating the effect of deficit irrigation on pepper yield and crop water use efficiency under furrow irrigation systems. The treatment consisted of three deficit irrigation levels (50%, 75% and 100% ETc) under three furrow irrigation techniques (conventional, alternate and fixed furrow). The experiment was laid out as a random complete block design with three replications. Analysis of variance indicated that there was a highly significantly (P<0.01) difference among treatments in pepper growth, yield and water use efficiency. The highest pepper yield was obtained from 100%ETc under conventional furrow system and shows not significantly difference with AFI100%ETc application. The water use efficiency was found higher in AFI with 50%ETc application and shows no significant difference with irrigation application of 100%ETc application under alternate furrow irrigation. Alternate furrow irrigation with 100% of irrigation water application resulted in 50% irrigation water saving for 6.14% yield reduction. Hence, in AFI with 100%ETc application can be considered as the practice in a water scarce area. The study indicated that deficit irrigation is possible in pepper crop production and it is practical technique to save largeamounts of irrigation water.