Ibrahim Akram Mhanna^*(1), Fahd Ahmad Sahyouny⁽¹⁾ and Badie Mohammad Samra⁽¹⁾

 (1) Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria.

(^*Corresponding auther: Ibrahim Mhanna. E-mail: Ibrahim.lattakia.93@gmail.com )

 Received: 04/07/2020                               Accepted:17/08/2020

Abstract

This research was carried out at an agricultural field in Lattakia countryside during the agricultural season 2019, to study the effect of the treatment with potassium nitrate and gibberellic acid-GA₃ on some growth and production parameters of pepper Capsicum annum L. This experiment was designed according to the randomized complete block design which included (9) treatments, each treatment included (3) replicates and each replicate included (20) plants. Potassium nitrate (0.4 + 0.8 %) and Gibberellic acid-GA₃ (25 + 50 ppm) were used as foliar spray. The results showed that potassium nitrate solution and gibberellic acid and their interactions had significant effect on the vegetative growth and production traits. The treatment of (potassium nitrate 0.8 % + Gibberellic acid-GA₃ 50 ppm) recorded the highest plant height (102.43 cm), number of branches (15.55 branch/ plant) and number of plant leaves (493.2 leaf/ plant) compared to control treatment which recorded (89.4 cm), (9.44 branch/ plant) a (352.6 leaf/ plant). This treatment also outperformed the other treatments, in production (6.06 kg /m²) while the control production was (3.93 kg/m²). With regard to the quality of fruit, the treatments of potassium nitrate (0.4 % and 0.8 %) recorded the highest value of dry matter percentage in fruits (9.98 and 10.17 %) respectively compared to control treatment. On the other hand, the various treatments gave positive results regarding vitamin C% as a result of plant development and growth strength. Therefore, foliar spray with potassium nitrate (%0.8) and gibberellic acid (50 ppm) can be used to improve the development and productivity of pepper under field cultivation conditions.

Keywords: Pepper, Potassium nitrate, Gibberellic acid, Growth traits, Production.

Full paper in Arabic: PDF