GROWTH OF A SWEET PEPPER CROP – MEASUREMENTS FOR MODELLING

In order to validate a carbon dioxide gas exchange model growth analysis was carried out with the sweet pepper cultivar ‘Mazurka’ in a greenhouse.
From planting in April until September every fortnight destructive plant measurements were made to determine growth and biomass allocation

Due to the late planting date maximum daily dry matter growth of 19 g/m² was reached not before August when leaf area index of the crop was greater than 2.5 m²/m² but radiation decreased already.
Total dry matter production of the crop (roots excluded) was 1700 g/m². The fraction of above ground dry matter distributed to the fruits varied between 26 and 87 % in the period of fruit growth and resulted in an average for the experiment of 52 %. Fruits were dominant sinks for assimilates.
In periods with intensive fruit growth vegetative growth was strongly limited and setting of new fruits was reduced.

Simulated growth agreed well with measured except of July when many fruits became ripe and were removed in short time.
The overestimation might have been caused both by an increase of fruit respiration during ripening and a feedback of limited sinks on photosynthesis.

International Symposium on Greenhouse Crop Models

H.-P. Kläring, A. Heißner, M. Fink

Capsicum annuum L., dry matter, leaf area, carbon dioxide gas exchange

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1996.417.12