Sustainable Irrigation System to Decrease Carbon Footprint and Increase Yield of Citrullus Lanatus L.

Abstract

Water melon (Citrullus lanatus L.) is one of the famous summer fruits globally and consumed frequently. The watermelon is getting importance and attention due to the fact that it prevents numerous lethal diseases due to the presence of Vitamin C, Lycopene, and antioxidant activity and has nutritional value as well. The appropriate selection of irrigation method, use of fertilizers and irrigation analysis (Irrigation time start, irrigation time ends, irrigation duration and number of irrigation) etc. assists to minimize the carbon footprint (CFP), and energy footprint (EF) of watermelon. Hence most conventional and extensively used method for the production of watermelon is flood irrigation system. The present study used a life cycle assessment approach in order to assess CFP and EF of watermelon production grown under drip irrigation (DI) and flood irrigation (FI) methods. The results indicated that the total consumption of water by drip and flood systems were 178000 liters and 319815 liters respectively with the yield of 1498.75kg/ ha for drip irrigation system and 1047.75 kg/ ha for flood irrigation. Similarly, the energy footprint of watermelon grown under DI was 494.76 BTU/kg and FI system was recorded 1269.31 BTU/kg. The carbon footprint of watermelon was found less for drip irrigation system (0.0405kgCO₂) as compared to flood irrigation system 0.0726 kgCO₂. It is recommended to use drip irrigation system for the growth of watermelon.