PRETRANSPLANT NUTRITIONAL CONDITIONING AFFECTS PEPPER SEEDLING GROWTH AND YIELD

"Sonar" pepper (Capsicum anmum L.) seedlings, grown in plastic pots (180 cm³) filled with a peat substrate, were fertilized from the 2^nd true leaf to transplanting (33 days) with solutions (200 ml/plant in total) containing N at 4, 8, 15, 30 and 60 mmol l^-1 in factorial combination with P and K at constant following ratio: N:P₂O₅:K₂O = 1.0:0.4:1.2 or P,K at constant level, corresponding to N = 15 mmol l^-1 of the prior case.

The major factor affecting pepper seedling growth was the N level in the solution: increasing N from 4 to 15 or 30 mmol l^-1 plant height, leaf and stem dry weight, SWR increased. The interaction effect between N level and N,P,K relation affected leaf area, leaf, stem and root fresh weight, root dry weight, RGR, SLA, LWR and RWR.

Regarding the field, the N level and the N,P,K relation affected simultaneously the early production. Only the N main effect slightly affected the total production, reaching a higher fruit number and weight at N = 15 mmol l^-1.