Effect of Organic Fertilizers, Irrigation Regimes and Biological Amendments on Growth and Production of Sweet Pepper

Abstract

RGANIC fertilizer regimes consisting of combinations of compost, liquid fertilizers and conventional fertilizer with or without biological amendments (Rhizosphere bacteria and vascular arbuscular mycorrhiza, VAM) were evaluated under three irrigation regimes (60, 80 and 100% of evapo-transpirantsio, ET) in two experiments with open field pepper grown in peat-based substrate. Therefore, field experiments were conducted at private farm, near Mansoura City, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, during summer seasons of 2012 and 2013. The irrigation regime treatments were randomly distributed among the main plots, organic fertilizer treatments arranged among the sub plots, while biological amendment treatments were allocated as sub-sub plots.The combined interaction of irrigation at 80% of ET and conventional fertilizer with microbial soil amendments had significant effects on vegetative growth characters (dry weight) and chemical composition (N, P and K content) of sweet pepper plants. This treatment led to the significant increase in early and total yield of sweet pepper plants and the highest significant values of fruit quality (fruit flesh thickness, acidity, T.S.S. % and vitamin C). The combined interactions recommended doses of mineral fertilizers, irrigation regime and VAM with rhizosphere bacteria gave the highest significant increase in early and total yields. Organic fertilizer, irrigation water regimes and microbial inoculation, either separately or in different interactions had significant effects in in pepper's early yield, total yield, total number of fruits per plot, fruit flesh thickness and quality parameters.