Sweet pepper is one of the most important greenhouse vegetable crops grown in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The average production of sweet pepper in Med-Tech greenhouses ranged from 12-15 kg/m2, which consider less than the potential yield (30 kg/m²) for such greenhouse types. This low yield may due to many reasons including unsuitable growth conditions i.e. air temperature, relative humidity, light intensity and plant density per m2. In soilless culture, the distance of gutter height above the ground enforces plants to reach crop wires at an early stage, which could affect sweet pepper production by reducing the plant growth cycle. This experiment was conducted under two types of greenhouse covering materials (clear glass and polycarbonate). In addition, six commercial sweet pepper cultivars (2 Green, 2 Red, and 2 Yellow) were evaluated in two growing systems (soil and soilless).
Experimental History
- Seed Sowing: 1 December
- Transplanting: 9 January
- Harvesting Period: Med-Tech glasshouse (35 Weeks) - Polycarbonate (37 Weeks)
- Seed Sowing: 1 December
- Transplanting: 9 January
- Harvesting Period: Med-Tech glasshouse (35 Weeks) - Polycarbonate (37 Weeks).
- Testing the effect of greenhouse roof cover material on sweet pepper productivity
- Addressing behavior of different sweet pepper commercial cultivars under different growth conditions
- Comparing the effect of soilless versus soil cultivation on the yield of sweet pepper cultivars.
- Two Med-Tech greenhouse compartments one with a polycarbonate cover and the other one with a clear glass cover
- Six sweet pepper cultivars; 2 green (Makaw& Rida); 2 red (Clavesol RZ & Aifos); and 2 yellow (Yellow Mountain & Saramba RZ ) in both compartments
- Two growing systems (soil and soilless) in a clear glass compartment
Clear glasshouse slightly increased yield as compared to polycarbonate greenhouse
- The response of sweet pepper to greenhouse cover was varied between cultivars
- The Yield of Makaw, Yellow Mountain, Clavesol RZ and Saramba RZ were increased under Polycarbonate greenhouse cover
Yield of two varieties increased by using soil cultivation, while yield of four varieties increased by using soilless cultivation
Green varieties (Makaw and Rida) resulted higher yield than coloured varieties
Conclusions
- Sweet pepper could be grown under polycarbonate (less light intensity) without significant reduction in yield as compared with clear glass in the Riyadh region.
- Sweet pepper yield could be improved by 10-40% or even more, in Med-Tech greenhouses by good crop management.
- Variety selection for different regions showed be practices by local growers according to their growing conditions.
- No significant differences were observed between soil and soilless cultivation indicated that soilless cultivation could be practiced improving water and fertilizer efficiency.