Behavior analysis of three pepper hybrids under 2 different irrigation systems

Abstract

Introduction. The aim is to optimize irrigation systems for water consumption in bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), an important crop in the food industry, whose hybrids exceed the productivity of commercial varieties. Unlike the pressurized drip irrigation system, which applies small quantities in a controlled manner to the root zone, the Kondenskompressor method, or solar irrigation, emulates the water evaporation cycle by forming a closed environment with 6 lt Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles that cover the root area, and the moisture resulting from evaporation condenses on the inner walls of 500 cc PET bottles and returns to the soil. Objective. To perform an financial evaluation of the productivity of 3 bell pepper hybrids called Nathalie, Martha R and Zapata, by comparing pressurized drip and Kondenskompressor systems. Materials and methods. Split-plot treatments with A x B factorial arrangement with 6 treatments and 4 replications were used in El Triunfo canton, Guayas, Ecuador. Different treatments were used to evaluate the efficiency of solar drip irrigation and pressurized irrigation, based on the variables, number of fruits per plant, fruit size, productivity, fruit weight, total costs, transplanting costs and benefit-cost ratio. Results. The best financial results were for treatment 6, with the application of the Zapata hybrid and pressurized irrigation, with a production of 26 200 kg.ha^-1, a net benefit of $5012, and a benefit-cost ratio of 0.98, water consumption for production was 1.29 m³.ha^-1. Conclusions. Although the pressurized irrigation system optimizes water consumption, its drawback was the significant monetary investment. Therefore, solar irrigation or Kondenskompressor is more applicable for small and medium farmers with low economic levels, since it implies lower costs and the generation of benefits 25% higher than their total costs.