Enhancing Capsicum Production and Water Efficiency through Drip Irrigation in Rooftop Gardens
Dinesh Kumar
College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar- 813210, India.
Abhishek Ranjan
College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar- 813210, India.
Mahendra Kumar Sharma *
College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar- 813210, India.
Sanoj Kumar
College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar- 813210, India.
Vishnu Ji Awasthi
College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar- 813210, India.
Anshu Kumari
College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar- 813210, India.
Ramesh Kumar Sahni
ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 462038, India.
Ananya Rai
College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar- 813210, India.
Krishna Murari
College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar- 813210, India.
Shilpi Kumari
College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar- 813210, India.
Sudhir Kumar Paswan
College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar- 813210, India.
Kushwaha Abhijeet
College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar- 813210, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Rooftop gardening has gained popularity as an urban agricultural method in various countries, including India. However, the high temperatures and increased evapotranspiration rates on rooftops require much higher water for crops compared to traditional ground-based farming which leads to a significant challenge in water management. To address these concerns, there is a need for cost-effective and efficient irrigation systems to improve production in urban rooftop gardens. An experiment was conducted at the Academic Building of the College of Agricultural Engineering, Ara, Bihar, from November 2024 to March 2025, to assess the performance of drip irrigation on the growth and yield of Indra Capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.). The study was designed using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with six replications, and significant differences were observed across various treatment methods. The results showed that the drip irrigation system led to higher plant growth, including increased plant height, more leaves, flowers, and average fruits per plant (21.3), as well as improved fruit length (67.2 mm), fruit weight (79.81g), and overall yield per plant (3.52 kg/plant). Compared to conventional irrigation methods, drip irrigation saved approximately 75%-80% of water, with a water use efficiency of 9.2 kg/m³. Additionally, the yield of Indra Capsicum was found to increase by 10-15% under drip irrigation, surpassing the potential yield observed with traditional methods. Overall, the drip irrigation system proved to be an effective solution for enhancing Capsicum production in rooftop gardens, demonstrating both water conservation and increased yield.
Keywords: Yields, drip irrigation system, water use efficiency, rooftop gardening