Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2016, 64(2), 455-460 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201664020455

Effect of Nutrient Supply on Some Selected Parameters of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv. 'HRF') Transplants

Aleš Jezdinský¹, Robert Pokluda¹, Katalin Slezák²

¹ Department of Vegetable Growing and Floriculture, Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

² Szent István University, Department of Vegetable and Mushroom Growing, H-1118 Budapest, Villányi str. 29-43, Hungary

In the trial the effect of nitrogen deficiency and potassium surplus on the dry weight, photosynthetic activity (A), transpiration (E), stomatal conductance (gs) and water use efficiency (WUE) were examined. The macroelement content of aboveground parts were analysed, too. The plants were grown in pots filled by pure Sphagnum peat. The top-dressing started in the 3-leave stage of plants, with different solution (every irrigation): control treatment: 0.28 g N, 0.097 g P (0.22 g P₂O₅), 0.42 g K (0.50 g K₂O) per litre; nitrogen-deficiency: 0.097 g P (0.22 g P₂O₅), 0.42 g K (0.50 g K₂O) per litre; potassium surplus: 0.28 g N, 0.097 g P (0.22 g P₂O₅), 0.83 g K (1.0 g K₂O) per litre. The transplants grown in the commercial fertilization technology (control treatment) almost in every evaluated parameters shown average value. The potassium surplus resulted significantly higher transpiration activity (2.58 mmol H₂O. m^-2 . s^-1) and photosynthetic activity (11.54 μmol CO₂. m^-2 . s^-1) than the nitrogen deficiency (E: 1.91 mmol H₂O. m^-2 . s^-1 and A: 9.01 μmol CO₂. m^-2 . s^-1), but without significant differences with control treatment. The N, P and K content of aboveground parts was significantly lower in the nitrogen deficiency treatment, than in the case of the potassium surplus, too. The effect of treatments on the dry weight of the plants, the stomatal conductance and the water use efficiency was not proven statistically.

Keywords: nitrogen deficiency, potassium surplus, photosynthetic activity, transpiration, macroelements

Prepublished online: May 4, 2016; Published: May 1, 2016  Show citation