Evaluation of the combined effect of organic and chemical fertilizers on some morphological, physiological, characteristics yield components and performance of sweet pepper (Caspsicum Annuum, Var: Traviata) under field conditions

Abstract

In order to investigate the combined effect of organic and chemical fertilizers on vegetative and yield characteristics of sweet pepper (Caspsicum annuum, Var: Traviata), an experiment was conducted on a randomized complete block design with three replications at Ferdowsi University Research Station Mashhad, in 2017. Treatments included control (without adding any fertilizer), NPK fertilizer, manure, vermicompost, vermicompost + chemical fertilizer, manure + chemical fertilizer, manure + vermicompost, and manure + vermicompost + chemical fertilizer. Results showed that the application of combined animal and chemical fertilizers significantly increased the morphological and yield components of the plant. The highest plant height, leaf number, leaf area, shoot dry weight, SPAD index, fruit length, number of fruits per plant, and fruit fresh weight per plant were obtained from combined treatment of manure and chemical fertilizers. Applying combined manure and chemical fertilizers increased the amount of stomata conductance about 45% in comparison with the control. The highest number of stomata in fruit was obtained from vermicompost treatment and the highest fruit diameter was recorded from combined vermicompost and chemical fertilizer. In general, the results showed that the combined application of manure and chemical fertilizer due to the effect of improving physical and chemical structure of soil, stimulation of some microorganisms, and availability of nutrients, led to increases in the morphological traits, yield components, and yield of sweet pepper.

Keywords

• capsicum annum
• organic fertilizers
• spad index
• stomatal conductance