Influence of drainage and nutrient-solution nitrogen and potassium concentrations on the agronomic behavior of bell-pepper plants cultivated in a substrate

PLoS One. 2017 Jul 5;12(7):e0180529. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180529. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

The interactive effects of N (6, 9, 12 and 15 mmol L-1) and K (3, 5, 7, and 9 mmol L-1) concentrations in nutrient solutions were evaluated on bell pepper grown in a coconut-coir substrate and fertilized without drainage. An additional treatment with drainage was evaluated using N and K concentrations of 12 and 7 mmol L-1, respectively. The hybrid Eppo cultivar of yellow bell pepper was cultivated for 252 days beginning 9 November 2012. Electrical conductivity (EC), the N and K concentrations in the substrate solution, marketable fruit yield, total dry weight and macronutrient concentrations in shoots were periodically evaluated. Fruit production was lower in the system without drainage, regardless of the N and K concentrations, compared to the recommended 10-20% drainage of the volume of nutrient solution applied. Higher K concentrations in the nutrient solution did not affect plant production in the system without drainage for the substrate with an initial K concentration of 331.3 mg L-1. Fruit yield was higher without drainage at a nutrient-solution N concentration of 10.7 mmol L-1. The upper EC limit of the substrate solution in the system without drainage was exceeded 181 days after planting. Either lower nutrient concentrations in the nutrient solution or a drainage system could thus control the EC in the substrate solution.

MeSH terms

  • Capsicum / growth & development*
  • Crops, Agricultural / growth & development*
  • Nitrogen / analysis*
  • Plant Diseases
  • Potassium / analysis*
  • Soil / chemistry*
  • Water Movements*

Substances

  • Soil
  • Nitrogen
  • Potassium

Grants and funding

Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) - process 2011/17524-7 corresponding to source of funding that have supported this work, which beneficiary was ABCF author. AFW was supported in the form of scholarship by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.