Effect of herbicides on pepper (Capsicum annuum) stand establishment and yield from transplants produced using various irrigation systems

Studies were conducted in 1996 and 1997 to determine the effect of irrigati on systems used to produce transplants on subsequent tolerance of banana an d bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) transplants to field-applied herbicides. Th e irrigation systems were overhead (OH), ebb and flood (EF), and float (F). At 2 and 4 wk, banana and bell pepper injury was greatest from clomazone ( 1.1 kg/ha) treatments. Banana and bell pepper yield were not influenced by herbicide treatment. Although crop injury was greater in 1997, there was no herbicide or irrigation system interaction with year. OH and EF irrigated banana pepper and OH irrigated bell pepper produced the greatest total yiel d over two harvests, whereas F irrigated pepper yielded the least. F irriga ted bell pepper plants had reduced early total yield and fancy fruits relat ive to other irrigation treatments. F irrigated plants yielded 32 and 22% l ess than OH irrigated plants in banana and bell pepper, respectively. Stand counts at 3 wk after planting (WAP) show that, unlike OH and EF treatments , F treatments lost 240 to 330 plants/ha. Differences in stand among treatm ents were greater in 1997 than 1996. Based on our study, the OH irrigated s ystem appears to be the best system for producing bell pepper transplants w ith the greatest total yield. With banana pepper both OH and EF irrigated s ystems appear to produce banana pepper transplants with the greatest total yield. Also, pepper transplant tolerance to herbicides is not affected by t he irrigation system used to produce transplants.