New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts
Nutrient conductivity effects on sweet pepper plants grown using a nutrient
film technique 2. Blossom-end rot and fruit mineral status
TESHOME TADESSE
MICHAEL A. NICHOLS+
KEITH J. FISHER
Institute of Natural Resources
College of Science
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
email: M.Nichols@massey.ac.nz
Abstract Sweet pepper (
Capsicum annuum L.) plants were
grown using Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) at electrical conductivity (EC)
levels of 2 ,4, 6, 8, and 10 mS cm
-1. Higher EC levels were achieved
by adding concentrated KCl solution to the basic nutrient solution maintained
at EC 2 mS cm
-1. An additional treatment of high Ca with EC 10 mS
cm
-1 was made up of a solution of KCl and CaCl2 at a ratio of 3:1
(w/w). High nutrient conductivities resulted in high blossom-end rot (BER)
incidence. This was related to the suppression of Ca uptake and reduced
accumulation in the fruit accompanied by an increase in the accumulation of Mg
and particularly K. Extra Ca at the highest EC level promoted the accumulation
of Ca by the fruit and reduced the incidence of BER. The reduction of Ca uptake
in the fruit at higher EC was more pronounced at the blossom-end of the fruit.
Fractionation of Ca compounds revealed that higher EC levels reduced the
physiologically active acetic acid soluble component, particularly during the
BER sensitive rapid fruit growth stage.
Keywords sweet pepper; EC; BER; fruit mineral; Ca
fractionation; NFT
+Corresponding author.
H98043
Received 15 September
1998; accepted 17 May 1999
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (669K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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