Fertilizer Program Impacts Yield and Blossom End Rot in Bell Pepper

Abstract

<jats:p>High-value vegetable crops such as bell pepper (<jats:italic>Capsicum annuum</jats:italic>) are heavily fertilized by growers who seek to maximize yields. Field experiments were conducted in Spring 2016 and 2017 evaluating two liquid fertilizers with and without calcium (Ca), applied at three nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) levels in two varieties of bell pepper to determine whether current fertilizer recommendations were adequate and whether fertilizer source impacted fruit yield and quality. Plants were grown using plastic mulch and drip irrigation following standard production practices for the region. Two liquid fertilizer programs [7N–0P–5.8 (7–0–7) and 4N–0P–6.6K/9N–0P–0K–11Ca (4–0–8/CN9)] were applied twice weekly at three N rates (175, 200, and 225 lb/acre N). Yield, cull rate, and foliar nutrient concentrations were measured. In 2016, total marketable yields were greatest [910 boxes/acre (28 lb/box)] and blossom end rot (BER) incidence (14.4%) lowest in plants grown with the supplemental Ca (4–0–8/C9 fertilizer) at 175 lb/acre N. Cull rates increased in plants grown without supplemental Ca during the season (7–0–7 fertilizer), with BER incidence ranging from 22.9% to 27.2%. Yields ranged from 590 to 740 boxes/acre in plants grown without supplemental Ca in 2016. In 2017, yields ranged from 530 to 790 boxes/acre in plants grown with supplemental Ca at 200 and 175 lb/acre N, respectively. Culls due to BER were lower in 2017 than in 2016. In 2016, BER incidence was greater in ‘PSO9979325’ compared with ‘Antebellum’, despite no differences in total yield. Foliar nutrient levels were largely unaffected by fertilizer program; however, foliar N and K concentrations increased with the rate of N and K fertilization. The results of this study suggest that using liquid fertilizer program containing some Ca may benefit bell pepper growers in some, but not all, growing seasons.</jats:p>

Cultivar Selection and Placement of Shadecloth on Midwest High Tunnels Affects Colored Bell Pepper Yield, Fruit Quality, and Plant Growth

“…Losses because of BER in our study ranged from 1% to 17% compared with values reported by Coolong et al (2019), who observed losses because of BER from 9% to 27% in sweet bell peppers harvested at the mature green stage in open field conditions. Although there was an interaction between shade and cultivar rates of BER that averaged 8%, 4%, and 5% under no, 30%, and 50% shadecloth, respectively.…”

“…The shading afforded by the polyethylene film of a high tunnel may offer enough reduction in irradiance to keep the overall incidence of sunscald low. Additionally, the incidence of sunscald will likely remain low when plant health is maintained to provide adequate foliage cover (Coolong et al, 2019).…”

“…The term ''sunscald'' has been used to define a general category of fruit tissue injury that results from direct exposure to solar radiation, and the physiological disorder can cause economically important losses in bell pepper production (Barber and Sharpe, 1971). BER is a symptom of a localized calcium deficiency, commonly seen in fruit of tomatoes and peppers (Taylor and Locascio, 2004); and several factors, including genetics, growth rate, irrigation regime, and relative humidity, have been shown to have an effect on BER incidence on fruit (Coolong et al, 2019;Taylor and Locascio, 2004). The presence of BER makes fruit unmarketable, and losses because of BER have been reported as high as 35% in the southeastern United States (Coolong et al, 2019).…”

“…BER is a symptom of a localized calcium deficiency, commonly seen in fruit of tomatoes and peppers (Taylor and Locascio, 2004); and several factors, including genetics, growth rate, irrigation regime, and relative humidity, have been shown to have an effect on BER incidence on fruit (Coolong et al, 2019;Taylor and Locascio, 2004). The presence of BER makes fruit unmarketable, and losses because of BER have been reported as high as 35% in the southeastern United States (Coolong et al, 2019). While a large-scale field producer may be able to absorb a larger percentage loss without economic impact, small-scale growers who have the added expense of the high tunnel must work to optimize production and avoid losses related to excess heat.…”

Temporal Relationship between Calcium and Fruit Growth and Development in Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

“…The ability of bell pepper fruit to continuously uptake Ca 2+ suggests that there is continuous demand for it during fruit development and, thus, its applications during fruit growth can be optimized in the field. Consistently, Coolong et al (2019) reported a decrease in BER in bell pepper that received low levels of Ca 2+ via fertigation throughout growth. These studies, along with the work reported here, indicate that optimizing Ca 2+ application during the onset of fruit development may potentially reduce BER in pepper.…”