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Projects

Improving Yield of Sweet Pepper in Med-Tech Greenhouses

Status: Finished

Year: 2020

Project type Improving Yield of Sweet Pepper in Med-Tech Greenhouses

Background

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 is considered less than the potential yield (30 kg/m²) for such greenhouse types.
This low yield may be 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).

Goals

Testing the effect of greenhouse roof cover material on sweet pepper productivity

Addressing the 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.

The main factors studied are:

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

Result overview

Clear glasshouse slightly increased yield as compared to polycarbonate greenhouse

The response of sweet pepper to greenhouse cover varied between cultivars
The Yield of Makaw, Yellow Mountain, Clavesol RZ, and Saramba RZ was increased under the Polycarbonate greenhouse cover

The yield of two varieties increased by using soil cultivation, while the yield of four varieties increased by using soilless cultivation

Green varieties (Makaw and Rida) resulted in higher yields than colored 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 practices by local growers according to their growing conditions.
No significant differences were observed between soil and soilless cultivation indicating that soilless cultivation could be practiced improving water and fertilizer efficiency.

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