Effect of Mulching and Amount of Water on the Growth and Yield of Chilli (Capsicum frutescens L.) Under Drip Irrigation

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of mulch and amount of water on the growth and yieldof chilli under drip irrigation system and to assess the potential of deficit irrigation to improve the economic efficiency of chilli production at during the year 201314 in winter season at Horticulture Instructional cum Research Farm, (PFDC) IGKV, Raipur (Chhattisgarh). The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with nine treatments combinations and three replications. A split combination of three levels of water (namely 491, 392 and 295 mm) combined with three mulch treatments [namely black plastic mulch (BPM) and paddy straw mulch (PSM) or without mulch (WM),] amid three replications and two days irrigation interval was used. Amount of water significantly affected the number of fruits per plant, average weight of fruits and total fruit yield/ha. Significant difference was also shown between mulch treatments on number of fruits and total fruit yield/ha.