Possibilities of using saline water for sustainable greenhouse pepper production and evaluation of SALTMED model performance

In this study, the effects of various irrigation strategies using saline water applied with drip method on yield and yield components of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and salt accumulation in the plant root-zone depth were investigated for spring and autumn growing periods in the greenhouse and the experimental results were compared with the simulated results from SALTMED Model. The research was carried out by using Onur and Ada pepper varieties at the Department of Vegetables of West Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute in Antalya between 2011 and 2012. In the study four different salinity treatments T1 (control) (1.0 dS m-1), T2 (2.5 dS m-1), T3 (3.5 dS m-1), T4 (6.0 dS m-1) and four different irrigation levels KS-50, KS-75, TS-100, AS-125 were considered. The control treatment with salt-free irrigation water, T1 (1.0 dS m-1), produced the highest pepper yields while the yields of T4 (6.0 dS m-1) were the lowest for both growing seasons. The SALTMED model was calibrated by using the soil moisture measurements in the control treatment during spring of 2011. After the calibration, the other treatments of spring and autumn seasons were used for validation of the model. SALTMED Model estimated the pepper yield with the difference between 1.1% and 7.4% in spring, and between 0.0% and 7.5% in autumn while it estimated the dry matter yield with the difference between 1.5% and 8.7% in spring, and between 0.1% and 7.7 % in autumn. This study of the SALTMED model used in several studies in the past is the first study showing the potential capacity of the model for use in greenhouse.