Substrate Volumes and Application of Paclobutrazol for Ornamental Pepper Production

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the quality of ornamental pepper seedlings, cultivar Pyramid, in different substrate volumes, with foliar application of paclobutrazol (PBZ).The experiment was carried out at the Mato Grosso do Sul State University -UEMS, in Cassilândia -MS. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 2 x 2 factorial scheme (growth container x foliar application of PBZ) with four replicates of 36 seedlings each. Plastic trays (cells with a volume of 50 mL) and polystyrene trays (Isopor ® , 100 mL cells) were used as containers. The treatments were: polystyrene tray with PBZ application; polystyrene tray without PBZ application; plastic tray with PBZ application and plastic tray without the application of PBZ. Plant height, root length, stem diameter, shoot dry mass, root dry mass, total dry mass, height/stem diameter ratio (H/D), shoot/root ratio (S/R) and Dickson quality index were evaluated. Foliar application of paclobutrazol resulted in robust pepper seedlings with reduced size, suitable and desirable characteristics for ornamental purposes. The polystyrene trays with higher volume cells (100 mL) contributed to the higher quality of ornamental pepper seedlings.

Priming and Growth Inhibitor in the Production of High-Quality Pepper Seedlings

“…However, the shoot to root dry mass ratio (DMR) between treatments with solutions in which PBZ is present provided lower DMR (Table 7). Parladore et al (2019) observed the influence of PBZ application on growth variables of the cultivar Pirâmide, at 60 DAS, not changing the quality indices. Thus, the results of the interaction between the PBZ solution with the species/cultivar and application method can be different.…”

“…Some growth inhibitors, such as paclobutrazol (PBZ), act inhibiting gibberellin production, a hormone responsible for vegetative growth and used to avoid etiolation, lodging, or even the competition between plants (Brito et al, 2016;Pacentchuk et al, 2018). These substances can be used directly in the soil/substrate in the treatment of seeds or sprayed on the leaf surface (Benett et al, 2014;Parladore et al, 2019;Ascoli et al, 2020;Matos et al, 2020). Plants with a lower shoot height, but with a well-developed root system, an important characteristic for plant survival in the face of water stress, can be obtained depending on how it is applied (Wanderley et al, 2014.…”

Paclobutrazol reduces growth and increases chlorophyll indices and gas exchanges of basil (Ocimum basilicum)

“…High levels of phenolic compounds in the plant can act as growth inhibitors due to their negative effects on cell division and elongation (Teixeira et al, 2019). Plants that received PBZ had lower robustness quotients, which indicates the balance between height/stem diameter, where the smaller the quotient value, the more robust the plants are (Parladore et al, 2019). The use of PBZ to increase robustness is widely practiced in hybrid eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla) (Santos et al, 2018).…”

“…In addition, the accumulation of biomass in leaves is due to PBZ increasing photosynthetic rates, resulting in greater growth (Mohan et al, 2020). The reduction in the stem mass ratio occurred due to the inhibition of the biosynthesis of gibberellic acid by PBZ, causing a reduction in cell division and resulting in compact plants (Parladore et al, 2019). The inflorescence mass ratio is associated with the restriction of cell expansion and the accumulation of phenolic compounds in the stem regulator to increase cytokinin levels and, thus, increase chloroplast differentiation, chlorophyll biosynthesis and prevent its degradation (Carvalho-Zanão et al, 2018;Huang et al, 2019).…”

Production of Ornamental Pyramid Pepper With Reflective Material on Benches in Different Environments

“…In addition to their culinary use, many pepper trees are used in decoration: they have fruits with considerable durability and a wide variety of colors. Its seedlings are small in size and are valued in the ornamental plant market (Stommel et al, 2018;Parladore et al, 2019).…”