Pepper Hybrids Research Articles

Study of inheritance of valuable economic traits in F1 hybrids of sweet pepper under conditions of Astrakhan Region

Relevance. The creation of new varieties and hybrids of sweet pepper adapted to the conditions of the Astrakhan region will increase yields, product quality and competitiveness. The analysis of the inheritance of valuable traits in F1 hybrids will also expand the base of the pepper gene pool and create new promising varieties and hybrids that meet the requirements of the modern market and consumers. The purpose of the study was to study the collection and breeding material for the creation of F1 sweet pepper hybrids with a combination of new economically valuable ones in the Astrakhan region.Methodology. The work was carried out in the Astrakhan region, Kamyzyaksky district in the VNIIOOB branch of the "PAFSC RAS" according to accepted methods and technologies. During 2021-2023, 82 collection samples and 420 breeding lines were studied, with a total area of 0.42 ha.The objects of research were 4 varieties and 1 line of sweet pepper.Results. In the collection and breeding nurseries, promising samples were selected, according to which hybridization was carried out. When studying the hybrids obtained, four hybrid combinations are of breeding interest: Cuboid red x Sprinter, Sprinter x Gift of Moldova, Sprinter x Flight, Flight x Sprinter. Inheritance was studied according to the characteristics: the type of bush, the shape of the fruit, color in the technical and biological degree of maturity, wall thickness and insemination of fruits. We studied the parental forms and inheritance of sweet pepper traits in F1 hybrids of four crossing combinations. Description and selection of combinations Cube-shaped red × Sprinter and Sprinter × Podarok Moldovan, exceeding the standard in yield by 5.7-7.3 tonnes/ha, which are of interest for further breeding work. It was determined that in the obtained hybrid combinations, the morphological characteristics of plants were inherited mainly by overdomination of the Sprinter variety.Conclusion. The research results can be applied in practice when creating the starting material for future varieties and hybrids of sweet pepper, and the resulting hybrids will complement the range of existing varieties and hybrids of sweet pepper.

Role of Some Stimulants Materials for Improve Growth, Yield and Quality of Color Sweet Pepper Hybrids Under Plastic Houses Conditions.

Role of Some Stimulants Materials for Improve Growth, Yield and Quality of Color Sweet Pepper Hybrids Under Plastic Houses Conditions.

Performance of Improved Bell Pepper Cultivars in Southern Georgia for Mature Green Fresh Market Production

Three research trials were performed over two spring seasons to assess the performance of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) cultivars in southern Georgia, USA. Studies were conducted in commercial production fields in Echols and Lowndes counties, which are major bell pepper production areas in Georgia, USA. Eleven cultivars were evaluated, and 10 newer bell pepper cultivars with improved disease resistances for bacterial leaf spot races 1 to 10, tomato spotted wilt virus, and/or phytophthora were compared with ‘Aristotle’, which historically was the most widely grown bell pepper hybrid in the southeastern United States. Our goal was to determine how the new and improved cultivars compared with ‘Aristotle’ for total yield, fruit size distribution, and unmarketable defects in the absence of disease pressure. There were significant differences in fruit size, marketable fruit, and culls between cultivars contrasting their adaptability for production in southern Georgia. The top performers for yield and preferred fruit size for fresh market bell pepper spring production in southern Georgia were ‘Autry’, ‘Standout’, and ‘Antebellum’. Yields and fruit size distribution of these cultivars were similar to ‘Aristotle’ but may be preferred in certain situations due to additional disease resistance. The cultivar, SV 3255 also had higher yields and low defects but had smaller average fruit sizes.

Fertility restorer gene CaRf and PepperSNP50K provide a promising breeding system for hybrid pepper.

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is pivotal in plant breeding and widely employed in various crop hybrids, including pepper. However, the functional validation of the restorer of fertility (Rf) gene in pepper has been lacking until now. This study identifies and characterizes CaRf, a single dominant locus crucial for restoring CMS in the pepper strong recovery inbred line Zhangshugang. The CaRf gene encodes a mitochondria-targeted pentatricopeptide repeat protein, validated through the induction of male sterility upon its silencing in hybrid F1 plants. To enhance pepper breeding efficiency, 176 important pepper breeding parent materials were resequenced, and a PepperSNP50K liquid-phase breeding chip was developed, comprising 51 172 markers. Integration of CaRf functional characterization and PepperSNP50K facilitated the development of a high-quality red pepper hybrid. These findings provide significant insights and practical strategies for advancing molecular-designed breeding in peppers.

The effect of bio-fertilization and nitrogen fertilizer spraying on some growth traits and yield of two hybrids of chilli pepper (Capsi-cum annuum L.)

This study was conducted to determine the role of azotobacter bacteria and nitrogen fertilizer in the growth and yield of two hybrids of chilli pepper. The experiment included two factors: the first factor was two hybrids of chilli pepper (Barbarian and Hyffa), while the second factor was the fertilizer treatments, which consisted of eight treatments: the controle treatment, spraying with distilled water (T1), inoculation with the Azotobacter biofertilizer (T2), spraying urea fertilizer at a concentration of 150 mgl-1 (T3), spray urea fertilizer at a concentration of 300 mgl-1 (T4), spray urea fertilizer at a concentration of 450 mgl-1 (T5), Azotobacter + spraying urea fertilizer at a concentration of 150 mgl-1 (T6), Azotobacter + spraying urea fertilizer at a concentration of 300 mgl-1 (T7), and Azotobacter + spraying urea fertilizer at a concentration of 450 mgl-1 (T8). The experiment carried out according to a split plot system design within a randomized complete block design(RCBD) with three replications. The first factor (hybrid) placed in the main plots and the second factor (fertilizer treatments) was placed in the sub-plots. The means compared according to the least significant difference test. (L.S.D) at a probability level of 5%. The results can summarized as follows: The interaction treatment between the fertilizer treatments and the chilli pepper hybrid (T8×Barbarian) showed significant superiority in most of the studied indicators compared to the other interaction treatments and gave the highest values in the percentage of elements in the leaves: Nitrogen (3.021%), Phosphorus (0.567%), Potassium (3.791%). It excelled in indicators of vegetative growth and chlorophyll content in leaves (362.1 mg 100 g - 1 fresh weight). It also excelled in quantitative indicators of yield represented by fruit weight (33.66 g), number of fruits (34.16 fruits Plant-1), and plant yield (1.149 kg plant-1), and it also excelled in the qualitative indicators of the fruits and their vitamin C content (121.3 mg 100 g-1 ).

Vermicompost Leachate-Based Biostimulant and its Effects on Physiological Variables and Yield of Different Crops in Manabí, Ecuador

Using large volumes of synthetic chemical fertilizers is a general practice in modern agriculture at a high economic and environmental cost. Biostimulants have become an alternative to this routine due to their ability to stimulate plant physiological processes without polluting soil and water. In Ecuador, however, little research has been carried out on the effect of biostimulants on the yield of crops of agricultural interest. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of foliar application of a biostimulant based on bovine manure vermicompost (VCLB) leachates on physiological variables and the yield of corn, cotton, and peanuts under field conditions and chard and five pepper hybrids in semi-protected cultivation under the agro-climatic conditions of the province of Manabí, Ecuador. The nine experiments carried out with the species and hybrids included various dilutions of VCLB and controls consisting of fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, depending on the species, and soil without fertilizer. In all species, VCLB-induced plant length, chlorophyll content, and crop yield exhibit equal or higher statistical differences than those achieved under chemical fertilization (NPK). These results demonstrate the potential of this biostimulant as a sustainable alternative to produce these crops, reducing potentially the adverse effects of production on the environment under the tropical conditions of Manabí, Ecuador. We recommend corroborating these results with production-scale research.

Anther-derived microspore embryogenesis in pepper hybrids orobelle and Bomby

BackgroundTraditional breeding methods have long been employed worldwide for the evaluation and development of pepper cultivars. However, these methods necessitate multiple generations of screening, line development, evaluation, recognition, and crossing to obtain highly homozygous lines. In contrast, in vitro anther-derived microspore culture represents a rapid method to generate homozygous lines within a single generation. In the present study, we have optimized a protocol for microspore embryogenesis from anther cultures of pepper hybrids Orobelle and Bomby.ResultsWe achieved early and successful embryo formation from both genotypes by subjecting the buds to a cold pretreatment at 4 °C for 4 days. Our optimized culture medium, comprised of MS medium supplemented with 4 mg/L NAA, 1 mg/L BAP, 0.25% activated charcoal, 2.6 g/L gelrite, 30 g/L sucrose, and 15 mg/L silver nitrate, exhibited the highest efficiency in embryo formation (1.85% and 1.46%) for Orobelle and Bomby, respectively. Furthermore, successful plant regeneration from the anther derived microspore embryos was accomplished using half-strength MS medium fortified with 2% sucrose and 0.1 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), solidified with 2.6 g/L gelrite. The ploidy status of the microspore-derived plantlets was analyzed using flow cytometry technique. Notably, the haploid plants exhibited distinct characteristics such as reduced plant height, leaf length, leaf width, and shorter internode length when compared to their diploid counterparts derived from seeds.ConclusionOur findings highlight the potential of anther culture and microspore embryogenesis as an advanced method for accelerating pepper breeding programs, enabling the rapid production of superior homozygous lines.

Ocena pokazatelja kvaliteta semena hibrida paprike tokom klijanja

The aim of the research was to evaluate the influence of the hybrid and the medium for germination testing on indicators of pepper seed quality. The obtained results should provide an answer as to whether the application of different growing media for testing seed germination can lead to discrepancies between test results in quality indicators for hybrid seeds. The seed quality of three pepper hybrids: KG 2025 F1, KG 2129 F1 and KG 2032 F1 was tested on two growing media (filter paper and substrate). Statistical analysis of germination energy, total germination, diseased seedlings and dead seeds showed highly significant differences (r<0.01) under the influence of the hybrid factor. The growing media factor also had a highly significant effect on all examined quality indicators , except for total germination. A significantly lower number of abnormal and diseased seedlings was found on the filter paper compared to the substrate. A highly negative significant correlation (r =-0.90951, p≤0.001) was recorded only between total germination and diseased seedlings. The obtained results indicate that the application of different media for testing the germination of hybrid pepper seeds can lead to inconsistencies in the obtained values for all evaluated quality indicators.

Experimental pepper hybrids and their morphological characteristics

Experimental pepper hybrids and their morphological characteristics

Genetička divergentnost linija ljutih paprika (Capsicum spp.) u hibridnim kombinacijama

Breeding programs for developing new genotypes emphasize earliness, fruit quality, yield potential, resistance to economically significant diseases, tolerance to abiotic stress, and plant morphology. Hybrids offer numerous advantages over varieties, including higher yields, fruit uniformity, resistance to plant pathogens, and the manifestation of heterosis. These are the primary reasons for initiating research on hybrid combinations of hot peppers. This study aimed to develop a hybrid hot pepper capable of meeting market demands. Seven experimental pepper hybrids were created by crossing the ms line HM5 (nuclear male sterility) as the female parent with seven pure lines (LHP 1-7) as the male parents, producing seeds of hybrid combinations. In 2023, a randomized block design experiment with three replications of 40 plants each was conducted in a greenhouse at the Institute for Vegetable Crops Smederevska Palanka. Harvesting was performed at the technological maturity stage. The most important morphological fruit traits and dry matter content (DMC) were analyzed on 10 fruits (kapya type) from each hybrid combination. The results revealed that hybrid combinations had a statistically significant impact on parameters such as fruit weight, length, width, pericarp thickness and DMC. The hybrid HM5xLHP6 showed the highest fruit weight (119.70 g), HM5xLHP4 exhibited the longest fruit (18.26 cm), while HM5xLHP1 and HM5xLHP3 demonstrated the largest fruit width (6.02 cm) and pericarp thickness (5.2 mm) respectively. High DMC values were recorded for HM5xLHP7 and HM5xLHP5 (10.5% and 9.40%). The number of fruits per plant (11.40-16.80) and the number of chambers (2) were consistent across hybrids, with no statistically significant differences observed. By comparing market-available varieties with hybrids, which are still limited in number, the results of this study highlight the superiority of hybrids for cultivation in greenhouse. Hybrids demonstrated justified economic effects for both fresh consumption and industrial processing.

Representing true plant genomes: haplotype-resolved hybrid pepper genome with trio-binning.

As sequencing costs decrease and availability of high fidelity long-read sequencing increases, generating experiment specific de novo genome assemblies becomes feasible. In many crop species, obtaining the genome of a hybrid or heterozygous individual is necessary for systems that do not tolerate inbreeding or for investigating important biological questions, such as hybrid vigor. However, most genome assembly methods that have been used in plants result in a merged single sequence representation that is not a true biologically accurate representation of either haplotype within a diploid individual. The resulting genome assembly is often fragmented and exhibits a mosaic of the two haplotypes, referred to as haplotype-switching. Important haplotype level information, such as causal mutations and structural variation is therefore lost causing difficulties in interpreting downstream analyses. To overcome this challenge, we have applied a method developed for animal genome assembly called trio-binning to an intra-specific hybrid of chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv. HDA149 x Capsicum annuum L. cv. HDA330). We tested all currently available softwares for performing trio-binning, combined with multiple scaffolding technologies including Bionano to determine the optimal method of producing the best haplotype-resolved assembly. Ultimately, we produced highly contiguous biologically true haplotype-resolved genome assemblies for each parent, with scaffold N50s of 266.0 Mb and 281.3 Mb, with 99.6% and 99.8% positioned into chromosomes respectively. The assemblies captured 3.10 Gb and 3.12 Gb of the estimated 3.5 Gb chili pepper genome size. These assemblies represent the complete genome structure of the intraspecific hybrid, as well as the two parental genomes, and show measurable improvements over the currently available reference genomes. Our manuscript provides a valuable guide on how to apply trio-binning to other plant genomes.

Combinatory ability and heterosis for quantitative traits related to productivity and the pungency in F1 hybrids of habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.)

AbstractThe objective of this work was to obtain high‐yielding F1 hybrids of the habanero pepper, using 10 outstanding parents in a line‐tester genetic design. General combinatorial ability and specific combinatorial ability were evaluated in the parents' and the hybrids F1 obtained, respectively. Heterosis was determined in the 18 hybrids obtained. The technique of HPLC was used to evaluate the capsaicin content in the fruit of 10 parents and 18 hybrids of habanero pepper. The DNA profiles were analysed as part of the characterization of the germplasm of the species conserved at the CICY. Furthermore, the molecular variation of the genotypes under investigation was assessed using eight SSR and nine ISSR markers. The results showed the presence of substantial morphoagronomic and molecular variability among the habanero pepper genotypes evaluated. Genetic similarities of 83%–93% between parents and 76%–94% between hybrids were found. The most productive hybrids were H8, H10 and H19 with 3.13 to 4.29 kg/plant, respectively, these came from crosses where RNJ‐04 (P26) as the male parent and the hybrid H60 (4.92 kg/plant) that comes from the male parent RES‐08 (P30). Likewise, the H7 hybrid had the highest capsaicin content (128.41 mg/g dry weight, 960,687.00 SHU). Hybrids H43 with 114.39 mg/g DW and 90,444.30 SHU, and H51 with 11.61 mg/g DW and 934,745.07 SHU respectively, also stood out.

Agro-productive response of pepper hybrids in a tropical sheltered production system

The present work aimed to evaluate the agro-productive response of bell pepper 'Robur F1' and 'Clair F1' hybrids. The experiment was conducted in a tropical sheltered production system at the "Valle del Yabú" Agricultural Enterprise. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replicates. The height and diameter of the main stem, length of internodes, and number of days to flowering were evaluated. Additionally, the number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight and yield, and fruit quality attributes (thickness of the pericarp, length, top width, color, shape, and number of lobes) were recorded. Results showed that 'Robur F1' reached a higher height (33.9 cm), the diameter of the main stem (12.9 mm) and the length of the internodes (9.84 cm). 'Clair F1' showed the highest number of fruits per plant (12), average fruit weight (273.60 g), and yield (3.87 kg/m2). A higher pericarp thickness and fruit width were observed in 'Clair F1', while the fruit was longer in 'Robur F1 (13 cm). Both hybrids had green bell peppers and fruits. With the knowledge of agro-productive characteristics of both pepper hybrids, Cuba may select the most remarkable genotype under a tropical sheltered production system. Keywords: agricultural yield, Capsicum annuum, fruit quality, morphological traits.

Selection of best compound fertilizer amended potting mixture for successful growth of black pepper (<em>Piper nigrum l.</em>) hybrid (“Dingirala”) nursery plants

Black Pepper, Piper nigrum L.) is a perennial, evergreen, climbing vine and it is widely used as a spice and flavoring agent in the food industry and ayurvada medicine throughout the world. Therefore, continuous supply of pepper is important for the sustainability of these sectors. Pepper is usually propagated vegetatively using stem cuttings. Cuttings are planted in polythene bags filled with a mixture of equal parts of topsoil, cow dung, sand, and coir dust. Scarcity of cow dung and expensiveness resulted with huge demand are the limiting factors in commercial production of pepper. Incorporation of nitrogen and phosphorus containing fertilizers to potting mixture in the absence of cow dung may at least supply plant nutrients which highly essential for early growth of plants. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the effect of different compound fertilizer for nursery plants of P. nigrum L, hybrid “Dingirala” in the absence of cow dung in the potting mixture. Four different levels (1, 2, 3, 4 g per pot) of four different compound fertilizers were taken as treatments such as T1- Yara Complex (N:P:K 12:11:18), T2- Yara Grower ( N:P:K 21:7:14), T3- NPK Balance (N:P:K 15:15:15) K as SOP, T4- NPK Balance (N:P:K 15:15:15) K as MOP and T5 a phosphate fertilizer Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) (N:P:K 18:46 :0). All were mixed into a modified potting mixture of topsoil: sand: coir dust 2:1:1 without cow dung. Control was the potting mixture already recommended by Department of Export Agriculture (top soil: sand: coir dust: cow dung, 2:1:1:1) without inorganic fertilizer. Each treatment contained three replicates per treatment. Complete Randomized Block Design (RCBD) was the experimental design and each block consisted with 50 plants. Two nodal cuttings of Black pepper hybrid Dingirala were planted and maintained in a propagator under a net house at central research station Matale (IM3a). After 105 days from establishment, survival percentage, growth parameters such as shoot length (cm), number of leaves and shoot dry weight (g) were measured. Soil parameters such as soil pH and EC and total N%, P% and K% of tissues were analyzed. Significantly highest (P<0.05) survival rate (91%) was recorded from recommended potting mixture used as control in this experiment and cuttings treated with 1g of Di-ammonium phosphate. Significantly highest (P<0.05) shoot length (39.1cm) was recorded from cuttings treated with 1g of Yara complex fertilizer (N:P:K 12:11:18) and Significantly highest (P<0.05) number of leaves (9.0) was recorded from cuttings treated with 1g of DAP fertilizer.Therefore, cuttings planted with top soil: sand: coir dust: cow dung, 2:1:1:1 is the best potting mixture and in absence of cow dung with normal potting mixture with 1g of Di-ammonium phosphate excelled all compound fertilizers in terms of overall growth, soil and leaf nutrient parameters of Hybrid "Dingirala" pepper nursery plants over the first 105 days after establishment.

Over environments evaluation of bell pepper hybrids developed through modified triple test cross mating design for earliness, yield and quality under North-Western Himalayas

Hybridization among diverse parents is a great way to create variability within a genus with a narrow genetic base. During Kharif, 2021 and 2022, an experiment was conducted in bell pepper at the research farm of Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture, CSKHPKV, Palampur (HP) using randomized complete block design under open field conditions to evaluate 15 diverse parents (12 lines and three testers) and their 36 F1 hybrids developed through triple test cross mating design along with two standard checks for eight yield and quality traits. Significant variations were noticed among all the genotypes for all the characters under study. Based on the overall mean performance in pooled environments, cross-combinations viz., HPB-7 × California Wonder, HPB-7 × HPB-39-CW, HPB-2-16 × HPB-39, HPB-6-1 × California Wonder and HPB-29 × HPB-39 were found top highest yielders. Besides the highest yielders, they were reported earliest in flowering and picking, containing more primary branches and a good amount of capsanthin, TSS and ascorbic acid content. Hence, these cross-combinations can be directly released as hybrids after multi-location/farmers’ field testings or can be used in further breeding programmes.

New insights into short-term water stress tolerance through transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses on pepper roots

In the current climate change scenario, water stress is a serious threat to limit crop growth and yields. It is necessary to develop tolerant plants that cope with water stress and, for this purpose, tolerance mechanisms should be studied. NIBER® is a proven water stress- and salt-tolerant pepper hybrid rootstock (Gisbert-Mullor et al., 2020; López-Serrano et al., 2020), but tolerance mechanisms remain unclear. In this experiment, NIBER® and A10 (a sensitive pepper accession (Penella et al., 2014)) response to short-term water stress at 5 h and 24 h was studied in terms of gene expression and metabolites content in roots. GO terms and gene expression analyses evidenced constitutive differences in the transcriptomic profile of NIBER® and A10, associated with detoxification systems of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Upon water stress, transcription factors like DREBs and MYC are upregulated and the levels of auxins, abscisic acid and jasmonic acid are increased in NIBER®. NIBER® tolerance mechanisms involve an increase in osmoprotectant sugars (i.e., trehalose, raffinose) and in antioxidants (spermidine), but lower contents of oxidized glutathione compared to A10, which indicates less oxidative damage. Moreover, the gene expression for aquaporins and chaperones is enhanced. These results show the main NIBER® strategies to overcome water stress.

Selection of chili pepper hybrid variety candidate (Capsicum annuum L.) based upon flower characteristics

Flower is an important plant organ which can be one of the criteria for selecting new superior varieties. This study aimed at selecting the superiority candidates of new hybrid variety based upon the flower characteristics. The research was conducted in the screen house of IVEGRI Research Station from February to April 2022. The treatment consisted of 30 hybrid variety candidates and 6 hybrid parents. Observations were performed on 15 flower characters according to the descriptors for Capsicum spp. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance, followed by Scott Knott’s post hoc test and heterosis value. The results of the analysis of variance showed that of the 15 flower characters, there were 7 characters that varied between treatments. Meanwhile, the post hoc test showed that only days to flowering, corolla length and anther colour had significant differences. Five candidates for early flowering hybrid varieties were selected, namely 1x5, 2x1, 4x5, 5x2, and 6x2. The heterosis value of the five selected varieties showed that they flowered 8-19% faster than their parents with a range of flowering days from 43 to 46 days after planting. Thus, they can be recommended as the candidates for the varieties of early-flowering chili hybrid. This result indicated that days of flowering can be used as a criterion to select the superiority of new varieties. However, days of flowering as selection criteria must be combined with superiority in the characteristics of high yield, resistance to pests and diseases and consumer preferences.

Sombreamento melhora a produtividade de berinjela e pimentão em casa-de-vegetação no verão

ABSTRACT Shading is a way of cooling in hot and sunny areas to modify the microclimate and improve crop growth. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of shading treatments on eggplant and sweet pepper growth, under plastic house conditions, at the beginning of the summer, when there are high temperatures and solar radiation intensity. The plastic covers were lifted at the beginning of April and the shading nets used in May and June. The shading treatment improved the plant height, vegetative weight, number of fruits per plant, fruit weight, plant yield and total yield per plastic house for both crops, especially for the sweet pepper. The sweet pepper hybrid (Charisma) and the local variety of eggplant showed the highest values for most of the studied characteristics.

Mitigation of Chilling Stress by Ozone Pretreatment and Acclimation of Sweet Pepper Grown under Unheated Greenhouse Conditions

Ozone is an important air pollutant that causes many challenges for human health, such as lung diseases. The negative impacts of exogenous ozone on cultivated plants have been discussed in several publications, but the positive impacts are less investigated. The current study is an attempt to answer the following question: is there any positive contribution of ozone pretreatment in growing plants under stress? Plants grown in unheated plastic greenhouses suffer from cold stress during the winter when the temperature drops to 5–10 °C. This stress can also be enhanced under saline soil conditions in arid regions. Treatments involving different ozone application methods (seed priming and seedling foliar application) and cold pretreatment (4 °C for 36 h) were compared with untreated controls of two sweet pepper hybrids (Zidenka and Lirica) in an unheated plastic greenhouse. In general, the Lirica hybrid outperformed the Zidenka hybrid in growth and fruit yield and showed good adaptation to cold stress resulting from ozone treatment through foliar application on seedlings. Moreover, cold treatment was associated with higher values of the studied parameters compared to the control (untreated). A concentration of 20 ppm of ozone in the first season and as 30 ppm of ozone in the second season increased plant leaf area, proline content, and APX activity, all of which improved the plant’s defense mechanisms against cold stress. These benefits contributed to high fruit sets; early, total, and marketable fruit yields; and fruit quality under cold stress. The highest yield (16.52 kg m−2) was attained with 30 ppm ozone applied as a seedling spray, compared with 10.07 kg m−2 in the control. Therefore, the foliar application of ozone up to 30 ppm can be recommended for sweet pepper hybrids of Lirica under unheated plastic greenhouse conditions. Further investigations are needed to study the interaction of combined ozone and cold stress, as well as various levels of soil salinity.

The effect of mulching materials on yield, biochemical composition and preservation of fruits of bell pepper

Introduction. The use of new covering materials is an important modern agrotechnique for cultivating of bell pepper in the open ground, which allows to minimize chemical treatments, increasing the yield, quality and preservation quality of vegetable products.The purpose of this work is to study the effect of various mulching materials (black polyethylene film and spandbond «Agrotex 60 perforated mulch») on the yield of bell pepper and also on biochemical composition of fruits and on their preservation quality in relation to the ripeness phase.Methods. The objects of the study were the fruits of two bell pepper hybrids of domestic and foreign breeding (respectively Nathalie F1 and Anetta F1), grown in the open ground using mulching materials. The experiments were laid according to standard methods adopted in vegetable growing. Storage was carried out in accordance with the methodological guidelines for conducting research on the storage of vegetables.Results. The use of mulching materials contributed to an increase in total yield and the yield of standard products in the crop structure, and also positively affected the accumulation of solids, vitamin C, monosaccharides, disaccharides and as a whole – the sum of sugars. The domestic hybrid Natalie F1 (74.9%), grown using black film as a mulching material, as compared to foreign hybrid Anetta F1 (71.3%), was characterized by better preservation quality. Significant differences in the chemical composition of fruits depending on the ripeness phase were revealed. Fruits laid for storage in full biological ripeness (red) were characterized by an increased amount of weight loss on all storage options. A positive effect on the storage persistence of bell pepper fruits with use of mulching materials on all variants of the experiment was also established.