111 Effects of N Source, Application Frequency, and Soil Nitrate Concentration on Pepper Yield and Quality
Year: 1994
Type: article
Abstract: Various applications of N fertilizer formulations to bell pepper plots were made to affect soil nitrate-N concentrations from 5 to 30 ppm throughout the growing season. Number and weight of marketable grades for the 1st and 3rd harvests were improved by increasing soil N from 5 to 30 ppm. In the final (4th) harvest, marketable yield was highest for applications maintaining soil N of 25 ppm. Earliness was enhanced by N sources with Ca(NO 3 ) 2 producing the earliest yield followed by NaNO 3 and NH 4 NO 3 . Total marketable yield produced by Ca(NO 3 ) 2 or NaKNO 3 was 3 t/ha higher than by NH 4 NO 3 applications. High marketable quality was maintained with Ca(NO 3 ) 2 and NaNO 3 treatments. The highest blossom-end rot (BER) incidence was associated with NH4NO3 applications. But the N source effect on BER was strongly influenced by soil nitrate levels. At 10-20 ppm soil N, leaf Ca decreased during the 8 to 12 week period, but at higher soil N, leaf Ca remained unchanged, indicating a constant Ca uptake during the critical growth period.
Source: HortScience
Author: K.M. Batal
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2307586774