ISHS Acta Horticulturae 323: Symposium on Soil and Soilless Media under Protected Cultivation in Mild Winter Climates
EFFECT OF NUTRITION AND SUBSTRATE WATER CONTENT ON GROWTH UNDER PROTECTION OF PEPPER SEEDLINGS AND ON FRUIT PRODUCTION IN THE FIELDY |
| Authors: | L. Basoccu, S. Nicola |
| Keywords: | Capsicum annuum L. fertirrigation, irrigation, pretransplanting nutrition |
| Abstract:
A trial with Capsicum annuum L. was carried on, in Northern Italy, in order to evaluate the influence of different conditions of substrate water content at Container Capacity (CC) and 0.7 CC in factorial combination with nutritional solution containing N at 4, 8, 15, 30 and 60 meq l-1 (P, K in constant relation: N:P2O5:K2O = 1:0.4:1.2), on in-nursery growth of seedlings and on subsequent field yield. Pepper seeds cv 'Sonar' (Clause) were sown using a perlite-peat substrate on 2 Apr 1990; the transplant took place on next 27 in plastic pots (8x8x9 = 350 cm3) using a peat substrate. Plants were transplanted into the field on July 7. The evaluation of morpho-physiological parameters of in nursery growing seedlings confirmed that the different rates of N fertilisation had a great influence on plant growth, mainly on the accumulation and the distribution of dry matter among leaves, stem and roots. The effects of different water content in the stage of seedling concerned only the dry matter percentage of leaves, shoot and total plant. The total field production (number and weight of fruits) was not influenced by any nursery treatment; on the other hand, the increasing N levels affected positively the early production (number and weight of fruits): 30 meq l-1 gave the highest number of fruits (9.5/m2) and the best early production (1704 g/m2), compared to 1.6 and 301, respectively, for the 4 meq l-1 treatment. The analysis of the stepwise multiple linear regressions with variables describing the in-nursery growth and the production enhanced, in this trial, a positive relationship between the plant height and the early production, as fruit weight and number. | |
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