Impacts of Effective Microorganisms, Compost Tea, Fulvic Acid, Yeast Extract, and Foliar Spray with Seaweed Extract on Sweet Pepper Plants under Greenhouse Conditions.

Mostafa H M Mohamed,Reda M Y Zewail,Heba S El-Desouky,Maha Mohamed Elsayed Ali,Rokayya Sami,Amina A M Al-Mushhin,Khadiga Ahmed Ismail,Radwan Khalil

doi:10.3390/plants10091927

Mostafa H M Mohamed, Reda M Y Zewail + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10091927

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Abstract

Sweet pepperincludes several vitamins and is regarded as a great source of bioactive nutrients, such as carotenoids and phenolic compounds, for human growth and activities. This work aimed to investigate the effects of the soil addition of growth stimulants, namely, effective microorganisms (EM), compost tea, fulvic acid, and yeast extract, and foliar applications of seaweed extract, on the vegetative growth, enzyme activity, phytohormones content, chemical constituents of plant foliage, fruit yield, and fruit quality of sweet pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Zidenka) growing under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that the tallest plant, largest leaf area/plant, and heaviest plant fresh and dry weights were recorded after combining a soil addition of yeast extract and foliar spray with seaweed extracts at 3 g/L in two growing seasons. The highest number of fruit/plant, fruit yield/m2, fruit values of vitamin C (VC), total sugars, total soluble solids (TSS), and carotenoids, along with the highest leaf of cytokines, P, K, Fe, and total carbohydrates values, were obtained using a soil addition of fulvic acid and spray with seaweed extract at 3 g/L in the two seasons of study. These treatments also provided the lowest abscisic acid, peroxidase, and super oxidase dismutase values in the same conditions. Sweet pepper plants supplemented with compost tea and seaweed extract foliar spray at 3 g/L were the most promising for inducing the highest values of fruit fresh and dry weights, fruit length and diameter, and the leavesrichest in N, Zn, and Mn; inversely, it induced the lowest catalase levels in both seasons. The applications of EM, yeast extract, and seaweed extract could be applied for high growth, mineral levels, enzymatic activity, fruit yield, and nutritional value of sweet pepper fruit and minimizing environmental pollution.

Highlights

Sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is considered to be the third most significant crop of the Solanaceae family
Zaki et al [24] showed that soil addition with effective microorganisms (EM) and yeast extract at 10% improved the vegetative growth of potatoes
There was a positive correlation between the vegetative growth trait values and seaweed extract concentration: as the concentration of seaweed was increased, the values of plant height, leaf area, and fresh and dry weights of leaves were increased until they reached the maximum increase at the highest concentration (3 g/L)

Summary

Introduction

Sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is considered to be the third most significant crop of the Solanaceae family. Pepper is one of the richest VC vegetables, and a single pepper fruit with a weight of 70 g may cover the daily VC requirements for a person. It includes several vitamins for human growth [1]. The global food security of small-scale agroecosystems accounts for almost 50% of food that is produced worldwide. These distinct agroecosystems confront many problems that mostly remain unapproachable. It is considered vital to feed the anticipated growing population of humans in future years [3]

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