Yield and Nutrient Uptake of Peppers (Capsicum annuum) Grown with Dairy Manure Compost and Fertigated Nitrogen

Abstract

The use of compost as an organic source of nutrients and soil improvement may help to increase the sustainability of intensively managed vegetables. Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) transplants were planted into silver-colored polyethylene mulched beds in a sandy loam soil amended with 0 or 22.4 Mg·ha–1 dairy manure compost. Preplant P was added to all beds at 78 kg·ha–1. During the season, N (as NH4NO3) was added about every 10 days. Total N rates for the season were: 0, 32, 65, or 96 kg·ha–1. Percent of N in pepper leaf tissue increased from a low of 2.7% without N to3.8% at the high N rate. Leaf P concentrations were higher in 0 N plots than in other rates. Compost resulted in higher leaf concentrations of Ca. There was an interaction of compost and N rates for percent of culls. Compost increased percentage of culls with 0 or 32 kg·ha–1 N, but decreased or did not affect cull percentage at 65, or 96 kg·ha–1 N. Compost did not affect other yield parameters measured. Marketable yields increased from 11 Mg·ha–1 with 0 N to 18 Mg·ha–1 with high N, although the regression was not significant, due to extreme variability within the field.