The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of different soil water regimes and nitrogen applications on the yield, leaf water potential (LWP), leaf area index (LAI), stomatal conductance (gs), and chlorophyll content of pepper by applying surface drip (DI) and sub-surface (SDI) drip irrigation during 2015 and 2016 in the Continental region of Turkey. Treatments included three different soil water regimes (full irrigation, FI; deficit irrigations, I-75 and I-50, receiving 75% and 50% of FI, respectively) and four different nitrogen (N) fertilizer doses (N-0: unfertilized, N-70: 70 kg N ha(-1), N-140: 140 kg N ha(-1), and N-210: 210 kg N ha(-1)). SDI had significantly higher yields in comparison to those obtained by the DI. Yields varied between 21.3 t ha(-1) in DI-I-50 and 50.1 t ha(-1) in SDI-FI. The highest (4.59 m(2) m(-2)) and least (1.26 m(2) m(-2)) LAI were observed in SDI-I-75 N-210 and DI-I-50 N-0, respectively. FI N-210 had higher gs in SDI (354.4 mmol H2O m(-2) s(-1)) and DI (312.5 mmol H2O m(-2) s(-1)), as compared to deficit irrigation treatments. The high yields could be obtained by irrigation using the DI (-1.45 to -1.86 MPa LWP), and the SDI (-1.14 to -1.47 MPa LWP), respectively. The pepper irrigation could be managed by the SDI-I-75 N-140, leading to the maximum net income. Therefore, pepper irrigation in semiarid regions could be managed by applying the SDI-I-75 N-140 without negative impacts on the physiological and yield parameters.
