Sweet Pepper Capsicum Annum L. Plant Response to Spraying with Nano-NPK and Antioxidants

Abstract

This study was conducted in one of the fields of the nursery project of the Najaf Agriculture Directorate for the spring season 2020 on the (California wonder) sweet pepper plant. The treatments included spraying the plants with NPK (20-20-20) and four concentrations (0, 1, 2, 3 gm.L-1) by three sprays with a fourteen days interval, or spraying with tocopherol (vitamin E) at three concentration levels (0, 75, 150 mg. L-1) two sprays 14 days interval. The period between spraying one substance and another was one week in addition to all the interactions and control treatment that sprayed its plants with distilled water. The results showed that spraying the pepper plant with single and combined studied treatments led to a significant increase in all the plant nutritional contents and yield characteristics represented by number of leaf/plant, leaf content of total chlorophyll, total carbohydrates, fruit content of Nitrogen (%), nitrates, Vita. C, number of fruits/plant, and total yield. The treatment 2g.L-1 NPK Nano-fertilizer+150 mg.L-1 tocopherol (vitamin E)) led to the highest rates for all studied traits except for fruit content of Vita. C and number of fruit/plant, which was the highest in the fertilizer combination 3g. L-1 NPK + 150 mg.L-1 tocopherol (vitamin E) compared to the control treatment, which recorded the lowest values. However, the treatment 150 mg.L-1 tocopherol (vitamin E) alone resulted in the lowest rate of fruit content of nitrates.