Water requirement of capsicum grown under polyhouse in temperate conditions of Kashmir

Precise estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) and crop evapotranspiration (ET_C) on a daily basis is important for scheduling irrigation to apply water through drip system for crops grown in the greenhouse. A study was carried out to determine the crop water requirement of capsicum (Capsicum annum L.) cultivated under polyhouse conditions at SKUAST-K, Shalimar. Reference evapotranspiration was estimated using standard method. The Crop ET was calculated by multiplying the reference evapotranspiration with the crop coefficient. Water requirements were calculated at 100% ET_C (Ij), 80% ET_C (I₂) and 60% ET_C (I₃). Water Use Efficiency (WUE) was calculated for each treatment by dividing the yield (kg) and water used (m³) under the respective treatment. Total water requirement inside polyhouse under the different treatments over the growing period of capsicum were calculated as 516.73, 418.57, 316.43 at I₁, I₂ and I₃ respectively.