Original scientific paper

Agronomic traits of bell pepper cultivars grown on rockwool

Božidar Benko ; Agronom ski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zavod za povrćarstvo
Josip Borošić ; Agronom ski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zavod za povrćarstvo
Sanja Fabek ; Agronom ski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zavod za povrćarstvo
Sanja Stubljar ; Agronom ski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zavod za povrćarstvo
Nina Toth ; Agronom ski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zavod za povrćarstvo
Ivanka Žutić ; Agronom ski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zavod za povrćarstvo

Abstract

Due to the spread of soilless pepper growing in Croatia and the emergence of new hybrid cultivars on the market, a field trial was conducted with the aim to determine morphometric and agronomic traits of bell pepper cultivars grown on rockwool. In the experiment, set up according to the complete randomized block design, eight hybrid cultivars were tested. Planting on rockwool slabs was done on May 9th and the plant density was 2.5 plants per m2. Vegetative and generative growth was regulated by pruning on two branches. During the harvest period, from June 27th to October 18th, nine harvests were done. During the harvest, morphometric characteristics of marketable fruits (mass, height and diameter and pericarp thickness) were measured. Also, marketable yield and unmarketable fruits (with blossom end rot symptoms) share were determined. The height of fruits ranged from 76.48 (‘Cila’) to 110.10 mm (‘Atol’), while the diameter varied from 68.26 (‘Vedrana’) to 84.95 (‘Olympus’).The ratio between fruit height and diameter ranged from 0.98 to 1.48. Pericarp thickness was between 5.55 and 7.60 mm. Dependent on cultivar, marketable fruits mass varied from 97 (‘Cila’) to 157 g (‘Olympus’). The achieved marketable yield varied from 9.36 (‘Atol’) to 13.53 kg/m2 (‘35-88’), and showed significant differences among tested cultivars. The share of unmarketable fruits varied from 10.3% in cultivar ‘Dut’ up to 28% in cultivar ‘Cila’, with highly significant differences. It is difficult to single out one or two promising cultivars according to the one year experimental results. So, it is necessary to expand and repeat this research. Besides the choice of cultivars, great attention should be paid to the regulation and maintenance of optimal greenhouse conditions, and the nutrient solution composition and dosage according to the various growth and development stages of pepper.

Keywords

Capsicum annuum L.; soilless culture; fruit morphometric characteristics; marketable yield

Hrčak ID:

163049

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/163049

Publication date:

9.8.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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