POTENTIAL RESISTANCE OF SWEET PEPPER PLANTS TO HEAT AND INSECT STRESS AFFECTED BY GROWTH STIMULANTS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY, GROWTH, AND YIELD

Abuo ElKasem, Sameh A.; Elkady, Fatma M.A.; Wahba, Mona N.; Tony, Eman S.E.

doi:10.21608/sinjas.2023.253640.1243

POTENTIAL RESISTANCE OF SWEET PEPPER PLANTS TO HEAT AND INSECT STRESS AFFECTED BY GROWTH STIMULANTS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY, GROWTH, AND YIELD

Document Type : Researches

Authors

¹ Agric. Res. Cent.,Hort.Res.Inst.Veg.Depart.

² Botany Physiology Department, National Research Center, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.

³ Plant Protection Research Institute,Agric.Res.Center.Dokii Giza,Egypt.

⁴ Vegetable. Research. Department., Horticulture. Research. Institute., Agriculture. Research. Center, Giza, Egypt.

10.21608/sinjas.2023.253640.1243

Abstract

Field experiments were carried out at Qaha farm, Qalyubia Governorate, Horticulture Research Institute, Agric. Res. cent., Egypt., to study the effect of 6 anti-stressor compounds on pepper under heat stress and insect infestation. Five anti-stresses were classified as good desirable effect sources on yield and polyphenol oxidase activity (PPO) enzyme activities in leaves. Three out of these 5 anti-stress showed an increase in peroxidase (POD) activity along with a high reduction in whitefly infestation. Two out of the three, namely aluminum silicate (AS) and potassium silicate (PS) exhibited significant positive effects for the reduction of Thrips and Spider mite infestations along with superiority for early and total yield as well as fruit quality, indicating the possibility of combining both high yield and good quality characters under various environmental conditions. Both compounds combined significant desirable effects for three or more key studied characters, including vegetative growth, quality of fruits in terms of flavonoid, TSS, pH, and vitamin C, as well as Total soluble protein. Additionally, AS had strong favorable versus PS in all vegetative traits, most fruit attributes, and the mean of combined infestation reduction. Results suggest that the mentioned anti-stress treatments may be crucial for maintaining good yields and/or some of the essential elements of traditional agricultural practices.

Keywords