Enhancing Water Productivity in Pepper Cultivation under Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation Scheduling using Sustainable Farming Practices

Abstract

This research aimed at assessing how different irrigation methods and types of tillage influenced hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) water productivity, growth characteristics and yields grown under sustainable agricultural management in Bagdad's Al Yousifiya region. The research project was undertaken as a field experiment throughout the 2025 growing season with a split-plot arrangement in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The irrigation methods studied were two surface drip irrigation methods along with sprinkler irrigation, and the tillage types studied were cold or conventional tillage and warmer or reduced tillage. All irrigation scheduling was based upon 35% depletion of available moisture.

According to the results there were significant differences found in plant growth, total yield and water productivity between each treatment. The best results were found to be from the combination of reduced tillage together with drip irrigation, where plant height was 86 cm, number of branches was 8 branches plant⁻¹ and the total yield was 4165 Mg ha⁻¹, whereas the opposite was true for the conventional tillage with sprinkler irrigation yielding the least. The efficiency of water used for drip irrigation in conjunction with reduced tillage reached 5.21 kg m⁻³ and sprinkler irrigation in conjunction with conventional tillage producing 2.50 kg m⁻³. In addition, less irrigation water has been applied to the drip irrigation method when compared to the sprinkler irrigation method thus indicating the drip irrigation method uses water more efficiently in situations where there is a limited water supply compared to the sprinkler irrigation method.

According to the results of the study, incorporating drip irrigation along with reduced tillage will lead to greater water productivity as well as increased pepper yield in dry and semi-dry climates. Hence, it is recommended that sustainable irrigation scheduling and conservation tillage be implemented to optimize water management in agriculture and improve the productivity of crops.