Evaluation of commercial vegetable crops under protected cultivation structure in saline environments

Abstract

Cultivation of vegetables is important component of agriculture, which has low gestation and high income. Many vegetables are now grown under protected cultivation with a scope of off-season production to fetch remunerative prices. However, precise information about use of saline water for commercial vegetable crops under protected cultivation is limited. Hence, evaluation of three vegetable crops namely, Capsicum (var. Indra), hot chilli (var. Kranti) and tomato (var. Cibelia) was initiated during 2015 under naturally ventilated polyhouse structures with saline water irrigation at ICAR-CSSRI to study improvements in crop productivity and profitability along with feasibility of of such structures in ensuring livelihood security to resource poor farmers. There were six saline water treatments with salinity of irrigation water (ECiw) ranging 0.8 to 10 dS/m. Among six treatments, one treatment was of Best Available Water (BAW) with ECiw 0.8 dS/m. Capsicum and chilli seedlings were transplanted on 04 August 2015 and tomato seedlings was transplanted on 26 August 2016. After initial establishment period of 15 days with BAW, saline water treatments were applied. The vegetables were grown on raised beds of 15 cm at spacing of 45 cm x 30 cm. Drip system operated under gravity flow was used to apply saline irrigation water. Recommended doses of fertilizers were mixed with irrigation water. The results of 1st year of experimentation are promising despite of use of saline water for irrigation. Highest fruit yield of 63 t/ha of capsicum was obtained with BAW followed by 62.2 t/ha with ECiw 6 dS/m and 58.2 t/ha with ECiw 8 dS/m. Similarly, highest fruit yield of chilli of 48.5 t/ha was obtained with ECiw 6 dS/m followed by 45.7 t/ha with ECiw 10 dS/m and 45.2 t/ha with ECiw 4 dS/m. In case of tomato, highest fruit yield of 116.2 t/ha was obtained with ECiw 6 dS/m followed by 111.0 t/ha with ECiw 10 dS/m and ECiw 4 dS/m each. Fruits of vegetables were harvested at regular intervals and there were 15, 13 and 28 pickings for capsicum, chilli and tomato respectively. Preliminary results of one year experimentation are promising and it appears that vegetable cultivation with saline irrigation water under naturally ventilated protected structures may ensure livelihood security to resource poor farmers.