ISHS Acta Horticulturae 700: International Symposium Towards Ecologically Sound Fertilisation Strategies for Field Vegetable Production
COMBINED USE OF FERTIGATION AND CONTROLLED-RELEASE FERTILIZER IN INTENSIVE OPEN FIELD SWEET PEPPER CULTIVATION |
| Authors: | A. Ombodi, J. Locher, J. Dimeny |
| Keywords: | fertilization, polyolefin-coated fertilizer, Capsicum annuum, yield, amount of irrigation water, blossom-end rot |
| Abstract:
The combination of fertigation and controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) can result in a novel fertilization method, which does not depend on technical background and weather circumstances as much as fertigation does and which is not such a rigid method as the sole use of CRF. The objective of this study was the investigation of the effects of the combined use of fertigation and CRF on fruit yield and quality in intensive open-field sweet pepper cultivation. Small-parcel experiments were conducted with two cultivars in 2001 and 2002 in Gödöllő, Hungary. Treatments differed in the ratio of nitrogen applied by compound CRF and by fertigation. 0% CRF (two fertigations weekly), 50% CRF (one fertigation and one irrigation weekly), and 90% CRF (two irrigations weekly with occasional fertigations) treatments were used. If the soil water content was sufficient, irrigation was omitted in the latter two treatments. Regarding both yield and quality there were no significant differences between the treatments in most of the cases. In the remaining cases the 90% CRF treatment produced significantly worse result than any other treatment. In the 50% CRF treatment 29% and 14% less irrigation water was used than in the 0% CRF treatment in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Thus by the combined use of fertigation and CRF similar yield and quality could be produced compared to the usual fertigation technique, while irrigation water could be saved. This method could be a feasible alternative to ordinary fertigation practice especially under semi-humid conditions. However, using this method special attention should be paid to calcium fertilization in dryer years in order to avoid high incidence of blossom-end rot. | |
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