The effects of different NPK nutrient doses on red pepper's yield and vegetative parts in pots

Abstract

Red pepper (variety 'Hírős') was cultivated in plant pot, in the research garden of Kecskemét College Faculty of Horticulture. Plant pots were in semi-subsurface position full with sandy soil typical for the Danube-Tisza sand ridges. Our aim was to investigate changes in productivity, yield and NPK content of leaves in correlation with increased NPK doses on sandy soil with low humus content and average nutrient supply. We used Hydrofert NPK 15-30-15 fertilizer. The amount of nitrogen and potassium per hectare were 150 300, 450, 600 kg, and the amount of phosphorus was the double of these. Fertilizer was spread with irrigation into the soil of plant pots. Total doses were applied in three equal portions, between May and July in all treatments for better nutrient utilization. Harvest was during the biological ripeness of red pepper, between August and September Compared to the control samples, yield increased spectacularly in every treatment. At the same time, utilising the highest amount of fertilizer did not decrease the yield compared to smaller amounts. It means we can reach balanced increase of yield with high amount of NPK fertilizer on sandy soil. High salt concentration in the root zone did not hinder the development of the plants.