Maximizing crop yield and economic benefit through water and nitrogen optimization in bell pepper

Considering climate change-induced water scarcity and excessive fertilizer use, boosting agricultural productivity has become a worldwide concern, particularly in Qatar's harsh climate. Adopting well-coordinated strategies is essential to improve yield and crop water productivity (WP_C). Thus, this research was conducted to assess the impact of varying irrigation regimes (50 %: deficit irrigation and 100 %: full irrigation, denoted as DI and FI) and nitrogen (N) levels (50 %, 70 %, and 100 %, denoted as N₁, N₂, and N₃) on the vegetative growth, yield, WP_C, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and economic benefit of bell pepper. Our results revealed significant enhancements in vegetative growth, yield, WP_C, and NUE across different irrigation levels and N treatments. The most favorable vegetative growth was observed at a 50 % irrigation level and 70 % N rate (TR₂). Optimal irrigation at 50 % led to the highest yield of 25.4 t ha⁻¹ with a WP_C of 0.30 kg m³, while a nitrogen dose of 70 % resulted in a peak yield of 25.7 t ha⁻¹ with an NUE of 0.37 t ha⁻¹ kg⁻¹ and with the highest economic benefit of production. Moreover, as irrigation and N application decreased, WP_C and NUE increased. These findings present valuable insights into reducing water consumption in agricultural practices, especially in water-scarce countries and regions like Qatar. This study highlights the potential for water-saving strategies to promote sustainability in agricultural production.