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Abstract
Nesma Elsayed Eliwa Youssif: Improving Growth and Productivity of Sweet Pepper Plant Under Low Water Supply Conditions. Unpublished M. Sc. Thesis, Agric. Botany Department, Fac. of Agric., Ain Shams Univ., 2017.
Two experiments were conducted during the two growing seasons of 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, in the greenhouses at a private farm at El-Salheya El-Gedida City, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, to investigate the effect of rice straw (RS) as soil alternative and sandy soil (SS) for comparison, and drenching applications of potassium humate (K2-HA) at 2 g/l, potassium silicate (K2SiO3) at 5 g/l, and seaweed extract (SWE) at 0.5 g/l on improving growth and yield of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants under deficit irrigation regimes; every 2 (I2), 3 (I3) and 4 (I4) days in addition to daily irrigation (I1) as control (1.5-3 l/ plant/ each irrigation according to the growth stage). Plant samples were taken at 90 days after transplanting for growth measurements and chemical analysis. All drenching applications showed significant increase in shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, leaf area and LRWC, as well as, concentrations of N, P and Ca in the two seasons comparing to untreated control and the best results were due to K2-HA followed by SWE then K2SiO3. Drenching with K2-HA resulted in the highest significant values of fruits no/plant, average fruit weight, fruits yield/plant and total soluble solids (TSS). Plants grown on RS showed significant increase in LRWC comparing to plants grown on sandy soil (SS). The best results of growth and fruits yield/ plant of plants grown on RS were achieved under I3 & I4. In regard to interaction treatments, application of I2+ K2-HA+ SS showed the best results of growth, fruits yield/ plant, determined macronutrients (except K) and biochemical constituents (except proline) followed by I2+ SWE+ SS comparing to control plants applied with I1+ SS without drenching applications. The highest concentration of K was observed with plants grown on SS under the highest level of irrigation deficit I4 by K2SiO3. It could be concluded from the present study that rice straw could alleviate the negative effect of low water supply and applications of K2-HA and SWE are recommended for enhancing sweet pepper growth and yield under normal and low water supply.
Key words: Capsicum annuum L., irrigation deficit, rice straw, N, P, Ca, total chlorophylls, total proteins, total soluble sugars.