Bell Pepper Crop Research Articles

High throughput sequencing reveals mixed infections of impatiens necrotic spot virus and tomato brown rugose fruit virus in bell pepper crops in Mexico

High throughput sequencing reveals mixed infections of impatiens necrotic spot virus and tomato brown rugose fruit virus in bell pepper crops in Mexico

Suppression of Thielaviopsis ethacetica wilt and root rot, the emerging pathogen on bell pepper (Capsicum annuum), and plant growth promotion properties by the safety indigenous Streptomyces SBcT04

Thielaviopsis ethacetica is an emerging pathogen responsible for wilt and root rot in bell peppers, significantly impacting crop yield. Biological control of the fungal pathogen provides significant advantages as a safe and efficient alternative to excessive chemical fungicides for managing plant diseases. Studying the screened and selected potential actinomycete strain from the indigenous collection is a quick and efficient measure to protect the yield of local bell pepper crops. The research assessed the indigenous actinomycete's ability to inhibit plant pathogens and promote plant growth both in vitro and in vivo. The Streptomyces SBcT04 was the most effective against T. ethacetica TROC-2 pathogen in vitro. The inhibition percentage reached 89.15 ± 0.46%. SBcT04 also effectively promoted plant growth properties in vitro. This strain fixed nitrogen and produced substantial amounts of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophores, and enzymes. Furthermore, the safety characteristics of SBcT04 for both the host plant (in vivo) and animals (in vitro) were confirmed. Streptomyces SBcT04 significantly processed pathogens, resulting in a reduction of approximately 40% in disease severity. Additionally, SBcT04 significantly promoted the host plant's growth, even in the presence of T. ethacetica TROC-2 infection. The indigenous Streptomyces SBcT04 efficiently inhibited T. ethacetica and significantly enhanced bell pepper plant growth. These advantageous characteristics of SBcT04 indicate its potential to foster secure and sustainable local bell pepper agricultural output.

Optimized fertilization using online soil nitrate data

Abstract. A new soil nitrate monitoring system that was installed in a cultivated field enabled us, for the first time, to control the nitrate concentration across the soil profile. The monitoring system was installed in a full-scale agricultural greenhouse setup that was used for growing a bell pepper crop. Continuous measurements of soil nitrate concentrations were performed across the soil profile of two plots: (a) an adjusted fertigation plot, in which the fertigation regime was frequently adjusted according to the dynamic variations in soil nitrate concentration, and (b) a control plot, in which the fertigation was managed according to a predetermined fertigation schedule that is standard practice for the area. The results enabled an hourly resolution in tracking the dynamic soil nitrate concentration variations in response to daily fertigation and crop demand. Nitrate–nitrogen (N–NO3) concentrations in and below the root zone, under the control plot, reached very high levels of ∼ 180 ppm throughout the entire season. Obviously, this concentration reflects excessive fertigation, which is far beyond the plant demand, entailing severe groundwater pollution potential. On the other hand, frequent adjustments of the fertigation regime, which were carried out under the adjusted fertigation plot, enabled control of the soil nitrate concentration around the desired concentration threshold. This enabled a substantial reduction of 38 % in fertilizer application while maintaining maximum crop yield and quality. Throughout this experiment, decision-making on the fertigation adjustments was done manually based on visual inspections of the soil's reactions to changes in the fertigation regime. Nevertheless, it is obvious that an algorithm that continuously processes the soil nitrate concentration across the soil profile and provides direct fertigation commands could act as a “fertistat” that sets the soil nutrients at a desired optimal level. Consequently, it is concluded that fertigation that is based on continuous monitoring of the soil nitrate concentration may ensure nutrient application that accounts for plant demand, improves agricultural profitability, minimizes nitrate down-leaching and significantly reduces water resource pollution.

Selenium concentration and method of application modulate growth and development of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Selenium (Se) is considered a beneficial element for plants. It plays a fundamental role in several physiological processes that influence their growth, development, and productivity. However, the influence of Se depends on both the concentration used and the method of application. It was hypothesized that low concentrations of Se stimulate plant growth and development, and foliar applications are more effective as a method of application. For that reason, the objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of 5, 10, 25, and 50 µM of Se applied radically and foliarly in bell pepper crop employed in a soilless cultivation system. The presence of Se by both application methods stimulated plant production, dry biomass accumulation, and photosynthetic pigment content, as well as leaf concentration of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K), except for calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (P) which were influenced by the application method and Se concentration factor, respectively. Fruit size was favored by the Se concentration factor while shelf life was favored by the application method. Se concentration in fruit dry matter varied as a function of Se concentration and application method, being more effective for human consumption by foliar application. This demonstrates the potential of Se as a beneficial element and reinforces the importance of proper management of both the concentration and method of Se application in agricultural crop production.

Residue estimation and dietary risk assessment of fenvalerate, novaluron, and profenofos in bell pepper grown under protected and open field conditions.

Residue studies were conducted in bell pepper crops (green and yellow bell pepper) to ensure the safe use of fenvalerate, profenofos, and novaluron (under open field and protected conditions) in randomized block design (RBD) following three applications at a 10-day interval over two consecutive years, 2021 and 2022. A robust analytical method was developed using quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) extraction and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for the determination of pesticide residues in bell pepper samples. The half-lives for fenvalerate were 2.47-2.87 and 2.50-3.03days on bell pepper under open field conditions, whereas the corresponding values for bell pepper under protected conditions were 3.84-4.58 and 4.17-4.71days, during 2021 and 2022, respectively. Profenofos displayed half-lives of 2.03-2.65 and 2.15-2.77days in open field conditions and 3.05-3.89 and 3.16-3.78days in protected conditions during 2021 and 2022, respectively. Similarly, novaluron had half-lives of 2.87-3.49 and 3.24-3.75days under protected conditions in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The maximum residue limits (MRLs) were calculated to be 0.6mg/kg for fenvalerate, while for profenofos it was 0.7mg/kg on bell pepper under open field conditions at double doses, at the proposed pre-harvest interval (PHI) of 3days. Likewise, for bell peppers grown under protected conditions, MRLs at the PHI of 3days were determined to be 0.8mg/kg for fenvalerate, 0.3mg/kg for novaluron, and 1.5mg/kg for profenofos. A dietary risk assessment study indicated that the percentage of acute hazard index (% aHI) was significantly lower than 100, and hazard quotient (HQ) values were below 1, signifying no acute or chronic risk to consumers. These findings underscore the safety of consuming bell peppers treated with fenvalerate, profenofos, and novaluron under the protected and open field conditions.

"The influence of some Capsicum rootstocks on bell pepper crops "

"The influence of some Capsicum rootstocks on bell pepper crops "

Improving Bell Pepper Crop Performance and Fruit Quality under Suboptimal Calcium Conditions by Grafting onto Tolerant Rootstocks

Calcium deficiency or its inefficient translocation to pepper fruits leads to considerable economic loss by reducing the number of marketable fruits. The present study proposes grafting as an environmentally friendly technique to effectively reduce such loss. A commercial variety (Al-cudia F1; V) was grafted onto two pepper (Capsicum annum L.) accessions (V/A6 and V/A8), a hybrid rootstock (V/N) and was also self-grafted (V/V). All rootstock–scion combinations were cultivated under greenhouse conditions with optimal and suboptimal Ca supply and assessed for fruit yield and biomass production, gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence, mineral concentration in leaves and fruits as well as several fruit quality parameters. The V/N plants demonstrated an enhanced capacity for increased biomass, higher yield and number of commercial fruits and greater mean fruit weight compared with the other rootstock–scion combinations. These improvements are attributed primarily to increased intrinsic water efficiency. Additionally, a significantly higher Ca concentration in leaves was found under suboptimal Ca conditions in the V/N combination than that found in the other rootstock–scion combinations indicating a higher capacity for Ca uptake and translocation. Under the same conditions, the concentration of organic acids in fruits, such as citric and tartaric, which impact the organoleptic quality, was also higher in V/N plants. Consequently, we can conclude that grafting pepper onto tolerant rootstocks is a successful tool for ameliorating the negative impact of suboptimal Ca conditions on pepper crop performance and fruit quality.

Relationships between Soil Tillage Systems, Nematode Communities and Weed Seed Predation

Soil tillage is generally recognized as having a negative effect on soil health and weed seed predators. Recent advancements in conservation tillage practices allow for further comparison of how different levels of soil disturbances could influence soil food web communities. Field trials were conducted in 2017 and 2018 at two different sites to measure the effects of four cover crop termination treatments: conventional till (CT), no-till (NT), strip-till following roller-crimping (ST-RC), and strip-till with a living mulch between crop rows (ST-LM) on soil health using nematode community indices as soil health bioindicators. Following cover crop termination, the soil was monitored in the subsequent bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) crop over three sampling dates (June, August, and October). In the ST-RC treatment plots, soil nutrients were enriched (increased Enrichment Index, EI) and the soil food web structure was improved (higher Structure Index, SI) by the mid-season of the 2017 trial. In the 2018 trial, the ST-RC treatment enhanced fungal decomposition pathways (fungivore/fungivore + bacterivore ratio) throughout the bell pepper crop cycle and enhanced bacterial decomposition (abundance of bacterivorous nematodes) by the end of the cropping cycle compared to the no-till treatment, suggesting that the ST-RC treatment can further improve soil health conditions achieved by the NT treatment. Scatter plots of sampling points revealed that the treatments CT and NT had very distinct nematode-weed community assemblages in both trials, with the ST-RC and ST-LM treatments distributed closely with the NT treatment. Multivariate analysis among soil health bioindicators, weed pressure and weed seed predation explained 76.4 and 55.7% of the variance in the 2017 and 2018 trials, respectively. Weed pressure was consistently negatively related to (1) the SI, indicating soil disturbance would lead to more weed pressure; (2) the EI, indicating soil with higher weed pressure was linked to poor soil nutrient cycling, (3) cover crop residues left in the field from conservation tillage, or (4) how well the living mulch of red clover covered the ground. This study did not show that weed seed predation would lead to lower weed pressure but weed seed predation increased as weed biomass increased.

ASSESSMENT OF SUBSTRATE SOLUTION EXTRACTION METHODS FOR DETERMINATION OF CHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES IN SOILLESS CULTURE OF BELL PEPPER AND MELON

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the porous ceramic cup extractors, associated with ion meters, for the determination of nutrients availability for bell pepper and melon crops in substrate. Substrate solution was acquired using aqueous extract 1:1.5 (v/v) and also the porous ceramic cup extractor. Electrical conductivity (EC), pH and macronutrient contents were determined for the substrate solution through analytical method. The concentrations of NO- and K+ in the solutions obtained with porous ceramic cup extractors, and the N and K contents in the diagnostic leaf for nutritional evaluation were also determined. The concentrations of NO3- and K+ using the porous ceramic cup extractors have strong correlation (r=0.96 and 0.92, respectively) with the ones obtained using the standard method, as well as a moderate correlation (r=0.65) and a strong one (r=0.71) with contents of N and K, respectively, in the melon diagnostic leaf; and a weak correlation (r=0.36 and 0.26, respectively) in the bell pepper diagnostic leaf. The use of porous ceramic cup extractors for obtaining the substrate solution and the determination of the N-NO- and K+ contents by means of specific ion meters are a fast method of evaluating nutrients availability in soilless cultures.

Exploring Overwintered Cover Crops as a Soil Management Tool in Upper-midwest High Tunnels

High tunnels are an important season extension tool for horticultural production in cold climates, however maintaining soil health in these intensively managed spaces is challenging. Cover crops are an attractive management tool to address issues such as decreased organic matter, degraded soil structure, increased salinity, and high nitrogen needs. We explored the effect of winter cover crops on soil nutrients, soil health and bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) crop yield in high tunnels for 2 years in three locations across Minnesota. Cover crop treatments included red clover (Trifolium pratense) monoculture, Austrian winter pea/winter rye biculture (Pisum sativum/Secale cereale), hairy vetch/winter rye/tillage radish (Vicia villosa/S. cereale/Raphanus sativus) polyculture, and a bare-ground, weeded control. Cover crop treatments were seeded in two planting date treatments: early planted treatments were seeded into a standing bell pepper crop in late Aug/early September and late planted treatments were seeded after bell peppers were removed in mid-September At termination time in early May, all cover crops had successfully overwintered and produced biomass in three Minnesota locations except for Austrian winter pea at the coldest location, zone 3b. Data collected include cover crop and weed biomass, biomass carbon and nitrogen, extractable soil nitrogen, potentially mineralizable nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon, permanganate oxidizable carbon, soil pH, soluble salts (EC), and pepper yield. Despite poor legume performance, increases in extractable soil nitrogen and potentially mineralizable nitrogen in the weeks following cover crop residue incorporation were observed. Biomass nitrogen contributions averaged 100 kg·ha−1 N with an observed high of 365 kg·ha−1 N. Cover crops also reduced extractable soil N in a spring sampling relative to the bare ground control, suggesting provision of nitrogen retention ecosystem services.

MICROFUNGAL COMMUNITY FROM ORGANICALLY AMMENDED SOILS ASSOCIATED WITH COMMON BEAN AND BELL PEPPER CROPS

Soil is a reservoir of microorganisms including microfungi that play a key role as saprotrophs, plant mutualists, symbionts, decomposers, pathogens and excellent bio-indicators of soil quality. The diversity of soil fungi communities is influenced by products used in the life cycle of each crop. This study aimed to evaluate the diversity of soil fungal community in bean and bell pepper crop. For pepper crop two plant protection methods were applied - i) diatomite in three different doses: 75 kg ha-1 (T1), 150 kg ha-1 (T2), and 300 kg ha-1 (T3) and ii) biological control agent Trichoderma asperellum Td85 strain (T4). For bean crop the T4 was not applied. After soil isolation for bean crop resulted 461 colonies clustered in 49 OTUs while for pepper resulted 436 colonies clustered in 56 OTUs. Pepper crop had a higher activity of soil fungi compared to bean crop, fact evidenced by a higher index of Simpson 1-D (evenness), Shannon (richness and the evenness) and Margalef (richness) tests. Even if treatment with Trichoderma sp. wasn`t applied on bean crop, the fungus was present in the soil naturally and had the highest value of CF% (colonization frequency).

MICROFUNGAL COMMUNITY FROM ORGANICALLY AMMENDED SOILS ASSOCIATED WITH COMMON BEAN AND BELL PEPPER CROPS

Soil is a reservoir of microorganisms including microfungi that play a key role as saprotrophs, plant mutualists, symbionts, decomposers, pathogens and excellent bio-indicators of soil quality. The diversity of soil fungi communities is influenced by products used in the life cycle of each crop. This study aimed to evaluate the diversity of soil fungal community in bean and bell pepper crop. For pepper crop two plant protection methods were applied - i) diatomite in three different doses: 75 kg ha-1 (T1), 150 kg ha-1 (T2), and 300 kg ha-1 (T3) and ii) biological control agent Trichoderma asperellum Td85 strain (T4). For bean crop the T4 was not applied. After soil isolation for bean crop resulted 461 colonies clustered in 49 OTUs while for pepper resulted 436 colonies clustered in 56 OTUs. Pepper crop had a higher activity of soil fungi compared to bean crop, fact evidenced by a higher index of Simpson 1-D (evenness), Shannon (richness and the evenness) and Margalef (richness) tests. Even if treatment with Trichoderma sp. wasn`t applied on bean crop, the fungus was present in the soil naturally and had the highest value of CF% (colonization frequency).

Results on spatio-temporal estimation of temperature and soil moisture in La Colmena (Paraguay)

This paper presents results on spatio-temporal estimation of agricultural soil variables using a novel methodology, called kinky inference. The methodology is applied to the temperature and soil moisture estimation in a bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) crop in La Colmena, Paraguay. Data is collected with in-situ devices equipped with sensors and endowed with communication capabilities to send the information to the cloud. The proposed methodology is able to learn from the received data, and produces reliable estimations for any spatial and temporal locations.

Effect of Graft and Nano ZnO on Nutraceutical and Mineral Content in Bell Pepper.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of grafting, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), and their interaction on the nutritional composition of bell pepper plants. The treatments evaluated included grafted and non-grafted pepper plants with four concentrations of ZnO NPs (0, 10, 20, 30 mg L−1) applied to the foliage. The following parameters were evaluated: content of N, P, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Fe2+, Cu2+, total antioxidants, ascorbic acid, total phenols, glutathione, total proteins, fruit firmness, and total soluble solids. Grafting increased the content of N 12.2%, P 15.9%, K+ 26.7%, Mg2+ 20.3%, Mn2+ 34.7%, Zn2+ 19.5%, Fe2+ 18.2%, Cu2+ 11.5%, antioxidant capacity 2.44%, ascorbic acid 4.63%, total phenols 1.33%, glutathione 7.18%, total proteins 1.08%, fruit firmness 8.8%. The application of 30 mg L−1 ZnO NPs increased the content of N 12.3%, P 25.9%, Mg2+ 36.8%, Mn2+ 42.2%, Zn2+ 27%, Fe2+ 45%, antioxidant activity 13.95%, ascorbic acid 26.77%, total phenols 10.93%, glutathione 11.46%, total proteins 11.01%, and fruit firmness 17.7% compared to the control. The results obtained demonstrate the influence of the use of grafts and ZnO NPs as tools that could improve the quality and nutrient content in fruits of bell pepper crops.

Trichoderma-Enriched Vermicompost Extracts Reduces Nematode Biotic Stress in Tomato and Bell Pepper Crops

Root-knot nematode (RKN) is a serious threat to crops worldwide due to the difficulty in controlling it and the limited eco-friendly alternatives to deal with the biotic stress it causes. In the present work, water-extractable fractions obtained from vermicompost (WSFv), vermicompost enriched with Trichoderma asperellum (WSFta) and T. virens (WSFtv) were tested as biotechnological tools to reduce the impacts of RKN on gas exchange, water use efficiency (WUE) and nutrient concentration in tomato and bell pepper plants. The plants were infected with 5000 eggs and eventual J2 of RKN and then treated with the water-extractable fractions for seven weeks. It was observed that the addition of WSFta, WSFtv and WSFv increased the CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance and WUE in the tomato plants. In the bell pepper plants, WSFta, WSFtv, WSFv increased the stomatal conductance, while WUE was higher in the treatment with WSFtv. In fact, the parameters associated with the gas exchange were usually higher in the bell pepper than in the tomato plants. Overall, higher contents of N, Mg, B and Mn were detected when the extracts were applied in both bell pepper and tomato plants. The application of the water-extractable fractions, inoculated or not with Trichoderma, attenuates the RKN damage on the gas exchange parameters and successfully enhanced the nutrient concentration in the infected tomato and bell pepper plants, showing that it could be an important and promising tool for reducing the damage caused by this pathogen. We suggest that both the tomato and pepper plants can cope with the dilemma between growth and stress response via stomata regulation that are modulated by the WSF and Trichoderma.

Conventional sampling plan for green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), in bell pepper crops

The green peach aphid Myzus persicae is one of the most important pests in bell pepper crops. Conventional sampling plans are the starting point for the generation of pest control decision-making systems. However, sampling plans have not yet been determined for this pest in bell pepper crops. Thus, the objective of this work was to determine conventional sampling plans feasible for M. persicae in bell pepper crops in the vegetative and reproductive stages. The adequate sample for the evaluation of M. persicae populations in bell pepper plants in the vegetative stage was the 5th most apical leaf. For plants in the reproductive stage, the adequate sample for the evaluation of M. persicae populations was the 3rd most apical leaf. The beating of the apical part of the plants in a white plastic tray was the best technique for sampling M. persicae in bell pepper fields. M. persicae densities adjusted to the negative binomial distribution had a common aggregation parameter (Kcommom = 0.1816). The sampling plan consisted of 158 samples per field. This sampling plan was carried out in 42 min, 57 min and 1 h: 08 min in plots of 1, 5 and 10 ha respectively. The cost of the sampling plan was US$ 1.19, US$ 1.59 and US$ 1.90 for plots of 1, 5 and 10 ha, respectively. The sampling plan developed in this study can be incorporated into integrated pest management programs, as it allows for an adequate assessment of M. persicae populations in bell pepper.

Frequentist and Bayesian inference for gas exchanges of drip-irrigated bell pepper1

ABSTRACT The water deficit or excess may cause undesirable changes in yield and physiological aspects of irrigated crops. Considering the analysis of experimental data, the use of classical statistical methods may not be sufficient to detect morphological and physiological effects resulting from the conditions employed, being interesting the use of new procedures, such as the Bayesian inference. This study aimed to evaluate the gas exchanges in the bell pepper crop under irrigation depths and different irrigation times, in a protected environment, by applying the parametric and Bayesian methods. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, arranged in a 5 x 2 factorial scheme, with five irrigation depths (60, 80, 100, 120 and 140 % of the crop evapotranspiration) and two irrigation times (8 a.m. and 2 p.m.), with five replications. The stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, photosynthetic rate, intrinsic water-use efficiency, ratio between the photosynthetic rate and the transpiration rate, and total dry matter were evaluated. The gas exchanges were affected by water replacement depths, with little interference from the irrigation times. The linear regression models, according to the irrigation depths, for transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and total dry matter were significant for both the statistical methods, suggesting that the results are similar and even coincident, especially when a priori information are not provided in the Bayesian analysis. Differences in the photosynthetic rate were observed only with the Bayesian method, adjusting linear models according to the irrigation depths, in both the irrigation times.

Application of Proximal Optical Sensors to Assess Nitrogen Status and Yield of Bell Pepper Grown in Slab

Nitrogen (N) is an essential element frequently associated with environmental issues, and the utilization of leaf clip sensors to adjust N fertilization is a technology of interest. This study aimed to evaluate the indices measured with SPAD and Dualex through the bell pepper crop cycle cultivated under different N doses, to identify the ability of the SPAD and Dualex optical sensors to assess N status and establishing the accuracy of the chlorophyll indices as yield estimators. Bell pepper plants were cultivated for 150 days after transplanting (DAT) in slabs fertigated with 6 different N doses divided into 10 bi-weekly applications. The indices SPAD, chlorophyll (CHL), flavonoids (FLV), and nitrogen balance index (NBI) were measured over the cycle on the uppermost mature leaves of each treatment. We determined the N content of these leaves and the final commercial yield. An interaction effect was found between N dose and growth stage. The SPAD and CHL indices were not significantly affected by N dose up to 60 DAT. The FLV and NBI indices show an opposite pattern in response to N dose. We found a strong correlation between the SPAD, CHL, and NBI and the N content in the leaves and between these indices and commercial yield in several evaluated dates. However, we did not observe a significant correlation between commercial yield and FLV. Both leaf clip sensors could predict the N status of the leaves and the commercial yield, improving the correlation as the crop development progressed.

Evaluation of Nematicidal Activity of Fluensulfone against Meloidogyne incognita in Bell Pepper Crop

The evaluation of nematicidal activity of the non- fumigant nematicide (fluensulfone) was evaluated for the control of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita in bell pepper crop (Capsicum annuum L.) under field conditions. The experiment was set up under a randomized complete block design with four replications. Six treatments were assessed for control of M. incognita: four doses of fluensulfone, one of the nematicide oxamyl and a control without application of nematicides. Ten days before transplanting, nematicides were applied in a single application via irrigation systems. The lowest final population densities of M. incognita in bell pepper crop were recorded in plots treated with fluensulfone at the dose of 2.75 L.ha-1, with an average of 25 juveniles. The higher percentage of efficacy was obtained with the application of fluensulfone at a dose of 2.75 L.ha-1. Fluensulfone showed a more efficient nematicidal activity as compared with oxamyl, which is the most used nematicide in horticultural crops in Mexico. Our results indicated that fluensulfone can be used as an alternative nematicide for the control of M. incognita in horticultural crops.

The Effect of Low-Haze Diffuse Glass on Greenhouse Tomato and Bell Pepper Production and Light Distribution Properties.

Diffuse greenhouse glass can increase the production and growth of several crops, by scattering the incoming direct sunlight, which results in a better and more homogeneous light distribution in the crop canopy. Tomato and bell pepper growers in Belgium tend to install low-haze diffuse glass with a double anti-reflection (AR) coating. These glass types have a limited diffuse effect but have a higher light transmission compared to standard float glass. Therefore, tomato growers often increase stem density to maximize light interception. However, a denser crop could counteract the positive effects of diffuse glass on the vertical light distribution. In this study, the effect of low-haze diffuse glass with an AR coating was evaluated for different cropping densities for tomato and bell pepper taking into account the vertical light distribution throughout the crop canopy. Tomato plants with two stem densities (3.33 and 3.75 stems.m−2) and bell pepper plants (with only one stem density of 7.1 stems.m−2) were evaluated in a greenhouse compartment with diffuse and reference float glass during a full growing season. For tomato, a significant production increase of 7.5% was observed under diffuse glass during the second half of the growing season but only for the low stem density. The benefit of diffuse glass appears most relevant during sunny clear skies and on the sun-side-facing rows of the crop. For bell pepper, no significant production increases were noted between regular float or diffuse glass, because a bell pepper crop is typically covered with thermal screens to prevent sunburn on the fruits during sunny days. The vertical light distribution and the usefulness of AR-coated diffuse glass depends on the crop type and should be optimized accordingly by altering the stem density, leaf pruning strategy, row orientation, or crop variety.