Effect of some Treatments to Reduce the Injury of High Temperature on Sweet Pepper Grown in Late Summer Season

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out at a private farm located in Khelala Village, Bilqas District, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, during the two successive summer seasons of 2018 and 2019 to investigate the effect of some treatments which reduce the injury of high temperature on sweet pepper grown in late summer season. Three different levels of shading (50, 63 and 75%), three different planting distances (30, 40 and 50 cm) and two foliar spray rates of potassium silicate (750 and 1500 ppm) and control treatment were investigated. Nine treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results show that shading at 75% is the superior treatment for plant height, leaf area, fresh and dry weights/plant, fruit set percent, falling flowers percent, fruit physical characteristics i.e, fruit length, diameter and flesh thickness and fruit chemical characteristics i.e, N, P and K%, VC and TSS compared to other treatments. As for planting distances treatments, all parameters values pronouncedly improve with an increase distances of planting, where the values are the best for distance 50 cm. Also, the values of vegetative, flowering, yield and its components significantly increase with foliar application of 1500 ppm potassium silicate. Meanwhile, the control treatment gives the lowest values for all parameters. According to the obtained results, individual treatments as shading level (75%), planting distance (50 cm) and foliar application with potassium silicate (1500 ppm) were beneficial to improve the growth, fruit quality and yield of sweet pepper plants grown in late summer season. Keywords: Shading, planting distance, potassium silicate and sweet pepper plants.