Influence of colour net shading on quantity and quality of sweet pepper yield

Abstract

Sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the main cultivated vegetable species in Hungary mostly produced under plastic tunnel by unheated technology. Sweet pepper plants could suffer high temperature and radiation during summer season. However, photoselective-shading nets can provide a new tool for light quality manipulation and support the plant development and fruit quality. The effect of shading colour nets depends on natural light conditions and other environment factors; therefore it is necessary to evaluate the shading technology. Hungarian sweet pepper variety was grown in South-East part of Hungary under plastic tunnels using different colour nets, as white, yellow, green and red, for shading in 2013. Results of trial proved that green colour shading net usually decrease the yield, while yellow and red nets can increase the yield and the fruit quality of Hungarian type sweet pepper. Growers have to care the shading intensity of the net, which should not be higher than 35-40%. Colour shading nets can be placed onto the plastic tunnels just after the planting.