IMPROVING GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF SWEET PEPPER PLANT UNDER LOW WATER SUPPLY CONDITIONS

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted during the two growing seasons of 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, in the greenhouses at a private farm at El-Salheya El-Gedida City, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt, to investigate the effect of rice straw (RS) as alternative to sandy soil (SS) and drenching applications of potassium humate (K2-HA) at 2 g/l, potassium silicate (K2SiO3) at 5 g/l, and seaweed extract (SWE) at 0.5 g/l on improving growth and yield of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants under deficit irrigation every 2 (I2), 3 (I3) and 4 (I4) days in addition to daily irrigation (I1) as control (1.5-3 l/plant/each irrigation according to the growth stage). Plant samples were taken at 90 days after transplanting for growth measurements and chemical analysis. Sweet pepper fruits were taken to evaluate yield and yield components at the marketable size stage during the period from 90 days after transplanting to the end of the season (270 days). The results obtained from the present study could be summarized as follow: - Mean values of irrigation treatments showed significant