Irrigation water requirement of drip irrigated tomato and capsicum under controlled and open-field environments

Freshwater scarcity poses a major challenge for Indian agriculture. This study presents an optimized irrigation scheduling framework for tomato and capsicum cultivation under protected and open-field conditions in Jalandhar, Punjab, over the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The CROPWAT model was used to estimate reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and irrigation needs. Results showed that ETo and ETc values were consistently lower under protected cultivation due to microclimatic control, reducing irrigation requirements by up to 27% compared to open-field cultivation. Water use efficiency and yields improved significantly under protected cultivation, with increases of 96% and 43% for tomato, and 92.8% and 40% for capsicum. This study demonstrates that optimized irrigation scheduling and protected cultivation can conserve freshwater and enhance agricultural sustainability in water-limited regions like Punjab.