Evapotranspiration and crop coefficients for tabasco pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.)

Precise estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) on a daily basis is critical for drip irrigation management in soils with limited water storage capacity. The objective of this study was to determine the evapotranspiration and crop coefficients for tabasco pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.), in the Northeast region of Brazil. Crop ET was measured daily using a precision weighing lysimeter with a surface area of 2.25 m2. Reference ET was estimated using the FAO Penman-Monteith equation. The total ETc observed throughout the 300-day crop season was 888 mm, with maximum daily values of 5.6 mm d−1. Under the climatic conditions of the Brazilian northeast region the crop presented two harvest cycles. Maximum values of crop coefficient were observed during the two periods of intense flowering and fruit development preceding fruit harvest. Average crop coefficients observed during the first harvest cycle were 0.3, 1.22 and 0.65 for the initial, mid-season and end of the late-season stages, respectively. During the second harvest cycle average crop coefficients were 1.08 and 0.60 for the mid-season and the late-season stages, respectively.