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Recent studies have suggested that predatory mirid bugs may be an effective alternative for controlling aphids in sweet pepper greenhouses. This study examined the effect of three constant temperatures (18, 24, and 30 °C) on the life history traits of predatory mirid species Nesidiocoris tenuis, Macrolophus pygmaeus, and Dicyphus bolivari, preying on the aphid Myzus persicae nicotianae in sweet pepper plants. As the temperature increased, the survival rate decreased for M. pygmaeus and D. bolivari, while for N. tenuis, it was the opposite, and their survival increased. When considering all the biological traits studied together, the estimated intrinsic rate of increase (rm) decreased as the temperature increased for M. pygmaeus and D. bolivari. In contrast, the rate increased as the temperature increased for N. tenuis. These results suggest that M. pygmaeus and D. bolivari are better adapted to lower temperatures than N. tenuis, which is more adapted to warm temperatures. The implications of these results for improving the biological control of aphids in sweet pepper greenhouses through the use of mirid bugs are discussed in relation to different temperature regimes.

Cultivar bajo invernadero permite obtener producciones de primicia, calidad y mayores rendimientos, en cualquier momento del año, a la vez que permite alargar el ciclo de cultivo, posibilitando producir en las épocas del año más difíciles (eliminar riesgos climáticos) y obteniéndose mejores precios. Esto se logra al controlar las condiciones de cultivo. La provincia de Corrientes se caracteriza por la producción de hortalizas protegidas, y el sector hortícola bajo invernadero abarca más de 2100 hectáreas, donde más del 80% de la superficie provincial se encuentra ubicada en los departamentos de Bella Vista, Lavalle y Goya. EEA Bella Vista Fil: Pacheco, Roberto Matías. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bella Vista; Argentina.

Este informe presenta un panorama del cultivo bajo cubierta de pimiento –Capsicum annuum- en Tucumán y analiza sus costos de producción. Si bien se utilizó información económica representativa de la campaña 2021, basada en datos provistos por agricultores, técnicos especialistas y otros referentes que conforman el mercado local, el costo obtenido debe considerarse solo una guía al respecto. Esto se debe, principalmente, a que las combinaciones entre los factores de producción, tierra, trabajo y capital son múltiples y dependen de las posibilidades de cada productor. EEA Famaillá Fil: Pérez, Gonzalo Antonio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; Argentina. Fil: Ceconello, Marcos Mauricio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; Argentina. Fil: Alderete, German Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá. Agencia De Extensión Rural Lules; Argentina Fil: Borquez, Ana Maria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Famaillá; Argentina

Background: The genus Capsicum contains various sweet and hot pepper varieties, including Capsicum annum L. The various species in this genus are used as herbs, vegetables, or medicines, and recent studies have shown that they are a rich source of bioactive compounds as well. Objective: In this study, our objective was to evaluate the antioxidant activity as well as the content of phenols (TPC), the content of flavonoids (TFC) and total condensed tannins (TCT) of ethanolic extracts of the fresh and dried sweet pepper Capsicum annuum L. Methods: The antioxidant activities of the extracts were examined using different biochemical assays, namely diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and ferric reducing power (FRAP). The total phenolic contents (TPC) were determined spectrophotometrically according to the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method. Total flavonoid content was measured by the aluminum chloride colorimetric assay. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been used to identify the phenolic compounds in ethanolic extracts. Results: The obtained results showed the presence of considerable amounts of total phenolic (757.3±3.5 mgGAE/100g), flavonoid (482.66±1.5 mgQE/100g) and Condensed Tannins (15.97±0.5 mg GAE/100g) content in dry red pepper extract. The use of HPLC has allowed the identification of Gallic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Chlorogenic Acid, Caffeic Acid, Quercetin, Vanillin, and Rutin in pepper ethanolic extracts. Green and yellow dry peppers contain significant amounts of gallic acid exceeding (134.0 μg /mg). The fresh yellow and red peppers also contained significant amounts of Quercetin exceeding (109.3 μg/mg), the dry red pepper has the strongest antioxidant activity. Conclusion: In conclusion, these findings can be regarded as very promising and justify further study, including the identification of antioxidant components in pepper extracts. Our work constitutes a first step in the study of fresh and dry sweet pepper as a promising source of natural antioxidants.

This study aims to map the types of vegetables that are feasible to be developed in Lampung Province. The mapping will be analyzed using the Location Quotient (LQ) method which will produce commodities that are classified as either base or non-base commodities. The data used are secondary data on vegetable production in Lampung Province for six years (2013-2018) obtained from the Central Statistics Agency of Lampung Province. The results showed that two types of vegetable plants became superior commodities, seen from the LQ value greater than 1, namely chilli and Chinese cabbage, with an LQ value of 1,26 for chilli and 1,17 for Chinese cabbage, respectively.

This paper presents a rule-based methodology for dynamic viewpoint selection for maturity classification of red and yellow sweet peppers. The method makes an online decision to capture an additional next-best viewpoint based on an economic analysis that considers potential misclassification and robot operational costs. The next-best viewpoint is selected based on color variations on the pepper. Peppers were classified into mature and immature using a random forest classifier based on principle components of various color features derived from an RGB-D camera. The method first attempts to classify maturity based on a single viewpoint. An additional viewpoint is acquired and added to the point cloud only when it is deemed profitable. The methodology was evaluated using leave-one-out cross-validation on datasets of 69 red and 70 yellow sweet peppers from three different maturity stages. Classification accuracy was increased by 6% and 5% using dynamic viewpoint selection along with 52% and 12% decrease in economic costs for red and yellow peppers, respectively, compared to using a single viewpoint. Sensitivity analyses were performed for misclassification and robot operational costs.

It is widely documented that plants respond to herbivory by releasing volatile compounds mediated by phytohormone signaling pathways. Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatiles (HIPVs), among which are the green leaf volatiles, can repel herbivores, attract their natural enemies, and warn neighboring plants of herbivore attacks. Plants that receive these warning signals activate defense mechanisms and therefore become more resistant to pests and diseases. In this work, we tested whether plants activated by exposure to the green leaf volatile (Z)-3-hexenyl propanoate [(Z)-3-HP)] can enhance the management of one of the most important pests of sweet peppers, the aphid Aulacorthum solani (Kalt.) (Homoptera: Aphididae). Here, we show that sweet pepper plants exposed to (Z)-3-HP induce plant defenses that repel A. solani winged adults and attract females of Aphelinus abdominalis (Dalman) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), an aphid parasitoid used to control a plethora of aphid pests, including A. solani. Additionally, (Z)-3-HP-exposed plants were less infested by A. solani than their non-exposed counterparts under greenhouse conditions. Significant transcriptional differences were obtained when studying the temporal gene expression pattern of three defense-related genes, ASR1, PIN2, and AMP1, markers of abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid, respectively, during the duration of the greenhouse experiment. Our results demonstrate how the use of volatiles as plant defense inducers can play a role in the management of A. solani in sweet pepper and opens the door to exploring this technique on other aphid pests in other crops.

It is widely documented that plants respond to herbivory by releasing volatile compounds mediated by phytohormone signaling pathways. Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatiles (HIPVs), among which are the green leaf volatiles, can repel herbivores, attract their natural enemies, and warn neighboring plants of herbivore attacks. Plants that receive these warning signals activate defense mechanisms and therefore become more resistant to pests and diseases. In this work, we tested whether plants activated by exposure to the green leaf volatile (Z)-3-hexenyl propanoate [(Z)-3-HP)] can enhance the management of one of the most important pests of sweet peppers, the aphid Aulacorthum solani (Kalt.) (Homoptera: Aphididae). Here, we show that sweet pepper plants exposed to (Z)-3-HP induce plant defenses that repel A. solani winged adults and attract females of Aphelinus abdominalis (Dalman) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), an aphid parasitoid used to control a plethora of aphid pests, including A. solani. Additionally, (Z)-3-HP-exposed plants were less infested by A. solani than their non-exposed counterparts under greenhouse conditions. Significant transcriptional differences were obtained when studying the temporal gene expression pattern of three defense-related genes, ASR1, PIN2, and AMP1, markers of abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid, respectively, during the duration of the greenhouse experiment. Our results demonstrate how the use of volatiles as plant defense inducers can play a role in the management of A. solani in sweet pepper and opens the door to exploring this technique on other aphid pests in other crops.

This study focused on examining the effect of vegetables extract foliar application on storage quality of the grapes grape (Vitis vinifera L. cvs. ‘Perlette’ and ‘King’s Ruby’). The vines were sprayed after fruit set twice at 15 days interval at concentrations of 0, 0.20%, 0.30% and 0.40%. Fruit were harvested and kept under cold-storage at 0.5 ±0.5°C and 90% RH for 28 days. The physicochemical properties of treated and untreated berries were analyzed at 7 days intervals during the cold storage. The results showed that the pre-harvest application of vegetable extracts reduced the weight loss and inhibited the fruit decay. Treated grape also had higher ascorbic acid contents, total phenolics, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-radical (DPPH) scavenging activity, and higher soluble solid contents, titratable acidity, and reduced sugar:acid ratio. The concentration of 0.30% and cultivar ‘Kings Ruby’ gave the best result as compared to untreated control. In conclusion, pre-harvest vegetables extract application on berries showed higher antioxidant activities in grape berries, and maintained their post-harvest quality. These results indicated that foliar spray of vegetables extract could effectively improve the fruit quality, mainly through the reduction of phenolic content.

Dünyada biber yetiştiriciliğini sınırlayan en önemli hastalıklardan birisi, kök boğazı yanıklığıdır. Bazı başka türlerde olduğu gibi Capsicum annuum L. türüne ait farklı genotiplerde de etmene karşı dayanıklılık kaynakları mevcuttur. Dayanıklılık düzeyi farklı biber genotiplerinin genetik ilişkilerinin belirlenmesi, dayanıklılık ile ilgili gen/genlerin kültür çeşitlerine aktarılması açısından önemlidir. Bu çalışmada, P. capsici’ye karşı dayanıklılık düzeyi ve orijini farklı 12 dayanıklı ve 4 duyarlı biber genotipin filogenetik ilişkileri SRAP (Sequence Related Amplified Polymorphism) ve SSR (Simple SequenceRepeat) moleküler belirteçleriyle belirlenmiştir. Bunun için, 144 SRAP primer kombinasyonu ve 27 SSR primer çifti kullanılmıştır. Otuz iki SRAP primeri herhangi bir PCR ürünü vermemiştir. Elli primer kombinasyonunda yalnızca monomorfik DNA bantı oluşurken 31 primer kombinasyonu polimorfizm sağlamış toplam 254 DNA fragmenti elde edilmiş, bunların, 99’u (%39) monomorfik, 155’i (%61) polimorfik DNAbandı olarak değerlendirilmiştir. SRAP belirteçleri ile 16 biber genotipi birbirinden genetik olarak ayrılmıştır. SSR primerinin 15’i monomorfik bant oluşturmasına karşın 12 SSR primeri ile toplam 36 DNA bandı elde edilmiş bunların 33'ü (%93) polimorfik olmuştur. SSR belirteç sistemi ile 16 biber genotipinin bazıları (PM-217 KM2-11, Perennial LS-279, PBC-178, Sera Demre, PBC 179 KMAE-12) birbirinden ayrılamamıştır. SRAP ve SSR belirteç verileri birlikte değerlendirildiğinde, genotiplerin genetik ilişkisi, orijine göre kümelemesi daha bilgi verici olmuştur. P. capsici’ye karşı dayanıklılık genitörü olarak kullanılan CM 334'den, PM 702, Perennial, PM-217, Tayvan'da temin edilen PBC grubu (1364, 1365, 178, 179 ve 413) ile Kahramanmaraş biber populasyonundan selekte edilen KM211genotipleri genetik olarak farklı gruplarda yer aldığı belirlenmiştir.

Sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most consumed vegetables in the world, being recognized as a food with high nutritional value. Recently, the market for sweet and colorful mini peppers has increased, especially among the most demanding consumers in the novelties in vegetables and functional foods. In this sense, we evaluated mini sweet peppers genotypes (Akamu, Kaiki, Kalani, Kaolin e Moke from Isla® seeds) regarding the physical-chemical, nutritional and sensory analysis aspects. A wide variability was observed among genotypes, highlighting the Kalani genotype for total carotenoids, and the genotypes Akamu, Kaiki and Kaolin for phenolic totals content and antioxidant activity. Moke and Kaolin showed higher vitamin C content and fruit firmness. Based on sensory analysis, Kalani, Kaiki, Kaolin and Akamu obtained greater global acceptance. The genotypes can be considered an important marketing strategy of mini sweet peppers trade, associating different shapes, colors and nutritional quality.

A comprehensive quality evaluation was performed on dried sweet bell pepper samples obtained from two years of production, two genotypes and two drying technologies, using one conventional and two organic cropping systems. A total number of 35 quality indexes, comprising non-volatile and volatile flavor compounds and health related compounds were evaluated for their possible role in the flavor of dried bell pepper: the most significant variations in the data analysis due to the year, drying technique, genotype and cropping system resulted in 25, 25, 16 and 10 significant interactions, respectively. The PCA analysis confirmed the main role of drying technique and sampling year. The malic acid for non-volatile compounds, linalool and 2-methoxy-3-isobutylpyrazine for volatiles represent the most relevant chemical indexes significantly correlating with many sensory descriptors scored by panellists, and are, therefore, proposed as quality markers to be carefully monitored for a correct quality evaluation of dried bell pepper.

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant Cheminova A/S submitted a request to the competent national authority in Spain to modify the existing maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the active substance acrinathrin in peaches and sweet peppers. The data submitted in support of the request were found sufficient to derive MRL proposals for both crops. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of acrinathrin and its enantiomer in the plant matrices under consideration at the validated limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.02 mg/kg. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short‐ and long‐term intake of residues resulting from the use of acrinathrin according to the reported agricultural practices is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health.

Sweet pepper is a non-pungent chili of the Capsicum annuum species and is an important ingredient in daily diets due to its characteristics such as pungency, aromas, and flavors. Sweet pepper is a rich source of bioactive compounds such as phenols, carotenoids, and flavonoids, which can promote potential health benefits against various non-communicable diseases. However, research focused on anti-Alzheimer’s disease (AD) properties of sweet peppers is limited. Thus, this study aimed investigate bioactive compounds (flavonoids, phenolic acids, and carotenoids), antioxidant activity and anti-AD properties of four colored sweet peppers (green, red, orange, and yellow) via their abilities to inhibit key enzymes relevant to AD [acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and β-secretase (BACE1)]. Extraction solvents [hexane, ethyl acetate, and 70% (v/v) aqueous ethanol] were also investigated. Results suggested that yellow sweet pepper have the highest content of flavonoids, while green sweet pepper have the highest contents of phenolic acids and red sweet peppers have the highest content of carotenoids. In terms of anti-AD properties, green sweet peppers exhibited the highest antioxidant, anti-BChE, and anti-BACE1 activities; however, yellow sweet pepper extract exhibited the highest amounts of AChE inhibition. Bioactive compounds in sweet red peppers may therefore have anti-AD properties, and may be useful for AD prevention.

Under semi-arid soil conditions, soils are poor in nutrient availability due to the high clay and lime content and high pH; hence, mycorrhizal inoculation is a good strategy for sustainable agriculture. As it is still very difficult to produce a large quantity of mycorrhizal inoculum for a large area, it is reasonable to produce mycorrhizal-inoculated seedlings, which are then transplanted to the field. In order to investigate the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation (Glomus mosseae) techniques on plant yield and nutrient uptake of several horticultural plants, field experiments were conducted using a selected Menzilat soil series (Entic Chromoxerert), located in the Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Cukurova, (eastern Mediterranean region) Turkey. Two growth pot sizes and two inoculation technique combinations consisting of six horticultural plants were replicated three times in a factorial randomized block design. The pure culture of G. mosseae was maintained and multiplied with sorghum under glasshouse conditions. Pepper, eggplant, tomato, cucumber, melon and watermelon seedlings were produced in different growth media, comprised of different composting material with several mycorrhizal species. Seedlings were produced using different techniques. Mycorrhizal-inoculated and non-inoculated seedlings were grown under field conditions using different inoculation techniques. The experiments revealed that under field conditions, mycorrhiza-inoculated seedlings are effectively established and result in high plant growth and yield. The results also revealed that for both techniques, plant yields were higher and mycorrhizal-inoculated plants produced more yield than non-mycorrhizal plants. The results showed that mycorrhizal-inoculated plants had higher P and Zn content than non-inoculated plants, but immersed mycorrhizal-inoculated plants had higher P concentration compared with granular application. We conclude that seedling quality is dependent on growth medium and mycorrhizal spore effectiveness. Furthermore, using mycorrhizal-inoculated seedlings appears to be a good strategy for horticultural production. © 2019 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.

This article reviews current literature published on aquaponics, a growing technology which uses aquaculture effluent to grow plants. Aquaponics offers a solution to several sustainability issues, such as, limited water availability, environmental pollution, increasing fertilizer cost, and depletion of fertile soils. The commercial and scientific application of aquaponics is growing; however, there is yet to be a review which holistically analyses scientific literature to indicate what type of system performs optimally, what will be the most dominant horticultural challenges as the commercial sector expands, and what direction of aquaponic research will be most impacting. This review analyzed over 529 publications on aquaponics, from 1978 to 2018. Through a systematic process, 257 of the most constructive publications were further analyzed and organized into varying groups based on content. The review found that in the past three 3 years, over 160 scientific articles have been published on aquaponic technology, detailing numerous trends, technological advancements and challenges associated with the system, consolidating the expansion of aquaponics and the need for a review. From publications investigating trends, it was found that decoupled aquaponic systems are becoming increasingly popular over coupled aquaponic systems, a deep water culture hydroponic component and media bed component are optimal for commercial and research applications, respectively; Tilapia and dark leafy vegetables are the most successful species used and Nitrospira may play a more important role in the aquaponic nitrification process than expected. From publications investigating challenges, it was found that commercial aquaponics will face difficulty growing high value flowering crops such as sweet peppers, tomatoes or cucumber, as a result of suboptimal nutrient ratios in aquaponic solution, specifically the reduced K+, Mg+, and Ca+. Holistically, it was found that the most important aspect of aquaponics that needs future research is the role plant promoting microbes play in nutrient uptake. Considering plant growth promoting microbes are likely the cause of aquaponic plants being able to achieve yields similar to that of hydroponics, despite nutrient levels being significantly lower, future research in this field can be paramount to the beneficial use of microbes in all plant production systems.

The paper presents the results of studying the effect of the probiotics biological product (Plex-Em LLC) on green crops (lettuce, parsley, dill, coriander, celery, green onion), strawberries, the development of sweet pepper seedlings and eggplant, when grown in hydroponic greenhouse of Belgorod State Agrarian University; a tendency to increase the linear parameters of cotyledons and true leaves in the treated seedlings of sweet pepper and eggplant plants was noted. With the use of the drug “Probiotics” an increase was observed in the height of plants in green crops by 13-29 % and in the mass of one plant by 19-38 %. The yield of green products per unit area increased from 8 % for parsley to 51 % for coriander. The drug “Probiotics” contributed to the improvement of economically valuable plants of strawberry: the number of fl owering plants increased by 35 %, the berry weight by 38%. The content of vitamin A, C and E in berries increased, but the amount of vitamin B2 decreased.

The main direction in the selection of sweet peppers is the creation of hybrids with a high heterosis effect. The question of components choice for the greatest effect in crossings is studied by breeders and geneticists of many countries for a long time. However, until now it has not been possible to create a theory that allows breeders conducting practical work to consciously and reliably choose pairs that would provide maxi-mum and stable yield and product quality, depending on the purpose of the variety. In the work various principles of the selection of pairs were used: ecological-geographical, according to the components of attributes and selection of the maternal form. Using these methods, more than 300 combinations of crosses were obtained. It is shown that the combination of two ecologically different parental components of different origin - the local sample and the introduced one - leads to an increase in the heterosis effect. The best hybrid combinations with a complex of economically valuable traits are obtained by crossing local varieties with selected breeding lines. When selecting pairs according to the components of the signs, where local or introduced samples with a different set of features were taken as parental forms, productivity was at the level of the standard. In most cases, when used as the maternal form of the local variety, the productivity of the hybrids was significantly higher compared to the reverse crossing. As a result of our studies, it is once again confirmed and proved that the more differences in the places of cultivation and reproduction of parental components, the higher the heterosis effect and the effect of the maternal component is much higher.

A study was conducted to investigate the ability of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in enhancing the growth and control of a root rot caused by different isolates of Fusarium oxysporum in sweet pepper seedlings. The plants were grown in plastic pots filled with sterilized horticultural soils. There were four treatments applied as follows: Fo (seedlings infected with fungus), M (seedlings inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi), Fo + M (seedlings inoculated with mycorrhiza and infected with fungus) and control. A randomized experiment was used and the growth, disease index, and photosynthetic activity of the plants were measured after 4 weeks. The investigations showed that the mycorrhizal inoculation had a protective effect on the F. oxysporum-infected pepper seedlings. The plants were characterized by a higher growth rate and a lower disease index than those growing only in the presence of the pathogenic fungus. The roots inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi were better developed than those infected only with F. oxysporum. The mycorrhiza contributed to an increase in the photosynthetic activity of the pepper seedlings.

Pungency is a characteristic trait of pepper (Capsicum spp.). Two genes, Pun1 and pAMT, are known as determinative factors of pepper pungency. To date, it has been considered that most bell-type sweet peppers (called piman and paprika, in Japan) possess the identical mutated Pun1 allele, pun1, whereas pAMT mutated non-pungent pepper has been found only in non-bell-type pepper. In this study, to reconsider the uniformity of the source of non-pungency in sweet bell pepper and explore new genetic resources, the presence of pun1 was investigated in 26 sweet bell pepper varieties. Among them, a seemingly common sweet bell pepper 'Color Piman Yellow' had the intact Pun1, in spite of its non-pungency. Sequencing and linkage analyses revealed that 'Color Piman Yellow' possessed a novel mutated pAMT allele, pamt 10 , that has a nonsense substitution at the 11th exon responsible for non-pungency. This is the first pAMT mutant to be found in sweet bell pepper. The finding that there was a pAMT mutant in sweet bell pepper suggests the possibility that more pAMT mutants exist unconsciously in other sweet bell peppers. The discovery of a new factor of non-pungency contributes to expanding the genetic diversity of sweet pepper varieties.

The experiment was conducted in the Horticultural Farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Plant growth regulators were applied which had significant effect on yield of sweet pepper (Capsicum annum L.). The experiment consisted of two factors. Factor A: Plant growth regulators (four levels) as G0: Control, G1: Gibberellic Acid (GA3) @ 30 ppm, G2: 4-Chloro Phenoxy Acetic Acid (4-CPA) @ 45 ppm and G3: 4-Chloro Phenoxy Acetic Acid (4-CPA) @ 45 ppm + Gibberellic Acid (GA3) @ 30 ppm and Factor B: Number of spray (three levels) as N0: Control (no spray), N1: two spray, N2: three spray. In case of plant growth regulators, the highest yield (27.77 t/ha) was found from G3 treatment, whereas the lowest (18.87 t/ha) was from G0 treatment. For number of spray the maximum yield (26.0 t/ha) was recorded from N2 treatment, while the minimum yield (19.87 t/ha) was from N0 treatment. The results indicated that the highest yield (31.8 t/ha) was observed from G3N2 treatment combination, while the lowest yield (17.5 t/ha) was from G0N0 treatment combination. Due to combined effect, the highest yield (31.8 t/ha) with net income (Tk/ha 1416558) and BCR (2.46) was observed from G3N2 treatment combination, while the lowest yield (17.5 t/ha) with net income (Tk/ha 433045) and BCR (1.49) from G0N0 treatment combination. Thus, three times spray with (4- Chloro Phenoxy Acetic Acid + Gibberellic Acid) may be recommended for achieving the higher growth, yield and economic benefit of sweet pepper. The Agriculturists 2018; 16(2) 58-64

El objetivo de esta publicación es dar a conocer, como alternativa, una técnica de clarificación, sencilla, económica, sin agresividad para el material vegetal y que puede ser empleada para la investigación de diferentes órganos y tejidos. Hace algunos años, se comenzó a ensayar en el Laboratorio de Morfología Comparada de Espermatófitas (LAMCE), una técnica de diafanización de hojas de plantas. La misma se desarrolló ante la búsqueda de un método de clarificación que permitiera mantener la orientación del material y no fuera tan agresivo para los materiales pequeños y delicados. Como resultado se obtuvo un método natural con las características buscadas.

Turkiye bircok sebze turunun yetismesi icin uygun ekolojik kosullara sahiptir. Bu calisma 2013-2015 yillari arasinda, Ordu ilinde yetistirilen sebzelerden, fasulye ( Phaseolus vulgaris L., Fabaceae), misir ( Zea mays L., Poaceae), hiyar ( Cucumis sativus L., Cucurbitaceae), patlican ( Solanum melongena L., Solanaceae), pirasa ( Allium porrum L., Alliaceae), marul ( Lactuca sativa L., Asteraceae), sogan ( Allium cepa L., Alliaceae), biber ( Capsicum annuum L., Solanaceae), patates ( Solanum tuberosum L., Solanaceae), turp ( Raphanus sativus L., Brassicaceae), domates ( Solanum lycopersicum L., Solanaceae), karpuz ( Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai., Cucurbitaceae) ve kabak ( Cucurbita sp., Cucurbitaceae) uzerinde bulunan akar turlerini belirlemek amaci ile yurutulmustur. Orneklemeler her yilin nisan-kasim aylari arasinda haftalik olarak yapilmistir. Calisma boyunca 2030 adet akar toplanmis ve incelenmistir. Uc alt takima bagli 15 familya ve 30 cinsden toplam 43 akar turu saptanmistir. Belirlenen akarlar arasinda en yaygin bitki zararlisi tur, Tetranychus urticae Koch, 1836 (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae) iken en yaygin predator tur ise Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot, 1962 (Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) olmustur. Ayrica calisma da belirlenen Amblyseius rademacheri Dosse, 1958 (Mesostigmata: Pyhtoseiidae) turu, Turkiye predator akar faunasi icin yeni kayit niteligindedir. Solanum melongena L. (Solanaceae) uzerinden toplanan bu tur tanimlanarak cizimleri sunulmustur. Ayrica Turkiye’de tespit edilmis Amblyseius cinsi akarlar icin teshis anahtari da verilmistir.

Supplemental lighting is essential for year-round greenhouse crop production in regions with low natural light. Supplemental lighting to increase the daily light integral can be added via lengthening photoperiods or increasing light intensity. Light addition via long photoperiods is preferred because of the lower light-fixture costs in comparison with the use of high light intensity. However, long photoperiods cause photoinjury, such as leaf chlorosis in tomatoes and sweet peppers. This photoinjury has limited the yield increase from long-photoperiod lighting. In our previous study, we found that a temperature drop with dynamic temperature integration (TI) can promote photoassimilate translocation from leaf to fruit and thus has the potential to reduce photoinjury. Therefore, this study was initiated in 2013 with the aim of testing this temperature-control strategy to improve the response to long photoperiods, including both overhead high-pressure sodium (HPS) lighting and light-emitting diode (LED) intra-canopy lighting. The study was conducted over three winters (from 2013 to 2016) in eight greenhouse compartments, each with 50 m2 growing area. Two photoperiods (control and long photoperiod) of overhead HPS lighting and two temperature integration strategies (control TI with no temperature drop; dynamic TI with a temperature drop to 13.5°C for tomatoes or 15.5°C for sweet peppers at the end of the photoperiod) were applied in eight greenhouse compartments. Four intra-canopy LED photoperiods were applied to the four plots inside each compartment. Dynamic TI with a temperature drop significantly reduced photoinjury and increased fruit yield at long photoperiods for both tomatoes and sweet peppers. It also reduced heating energy use during cold winter months in the tomato experiments. Therefore, dynamic TI with a temperature drop is an energy-efficient climate-control strategy for improving the response of greenhouse tomatoes and sweet peppers to long photoperiods of supplemental lighting.

Each year, large volumes of sweet pepper seeds (Capsicum annuum L.) are exported from Thailand to many countries. As a result, seed quality is very important. Sweet pepper seeds are very small, both in dimension and mass, therefore they are very difficult to inspect manually. Thus, we designed and constructed an automated sweet pepper seed sorting machine. It consists of three main stations: 1) seed feeder, 2) seed inspector using a camera and 3) seed sorter using a vacuum suction system. To transport seeds through each station, we designed a circular rotating plate with radial rows of blind holes. This allows all three stations to process a row of seeds in parallel. To identify discolored seeds, images were captured and processed to detect dark areas on the surface of the seeds. Our machine accurately sorted 90.9% of input seeds. The maximum potential capacity (in terms of seed processing rate) was 16,500 seeds per hour and we achieved actual rates of approximately 12,700 seeds per hour or roughly twice as fast as an experienced operator. Thus, this machine is faster and more accurate than human operators and can replace them.

PhD (Science with Biology), North-West University, Mafikeng Campus Biocontrol agents (especially, microbial antagonists) can sustainably and effectively protect yield losses in crops. In sweet peppers (Capsicum annum), one of the most nutritionally rich fruit crop, widely grown worldwide, productivity is threatened by microbial pathogens, particularly those that cause post-harvest spoilage. The identities as well as the roles that could be played by microbial antagonistic microorganisms in protecting yield loses for this important crop are poorly established. The aim of this project was: i) to investigate how the effect of growing conditions (hydroponic system versus direct sowing), inorganic pesticides treatment (i.e., application of a fungicide) and maturity status (green versus red), could influence the structure and composition of bacterial communities on the surfaces of fresh pepper fruits; ii) to predict the phenotypic changes in the microbiota of pepper samples; iii) to identify bacterial taxa with potential to minimize postharvest losses of peppers; and also, iii) to identify bacterial antagonists of R. solanacearum, residing on the surfaces of red and green sweet pepper fruits. To achieve this, amplicon sequencing, targeting the 16S rRNA marker gene, and microbial functions assays to depict the identities and the potential antagonistic functions of bacteria were employed. Amplicon sequencing showed bacteria belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes, to be enriched in the fungicide-treated compared to fungicide-untreated samples, in open field compared to the hydroponic system samples, and in the green compared to the red samples. Phenotypic predictions (at phylum level) detected high abundance of potentially pathogenic, biofilm forming and stress tolerant bacteria on samples grown on open soils than those from hydroponic systems. Furthermore, bacterial species of genera mostly classified as fungal antagonists including; Acinetobacter, Agrobacterium and Burkholderia were the most abundant on the surfaces. Microbial isolations and functional analysis successfully identified four potential antagonists from the surface of the sweet pepper fruit surfaces viz. Bacillus cereus strain HRT7.7, Paenibacillus polymyxa strain SGT5.3, Serratia marcescens strain SRT9.1 and Enterobacter hormaechei strain SRU4.4, and these indicated antagonism against R. solanacearum (the most devastating pathogen of peppers). Optimisation studies under different carbon and nitrogen sources revealed that these potentially antagonistic isolates can effectively suppress R. solanacearum at 3% (w/v) starch and 2,5% (w/v) tryptone at pH of 7 and temperature of 30oC. The mode of action exhibited by the strains against the pathogen was secretion of lytic enzymes (i.e., cellulase and protease). Furthermore, the antagonists also displayed plant growth-promoting (PGP) capabilities through phosphate solubilisation and siderophores production. Overall, results demonstrated the ability of sweet peppers to accommodate different microbial taxa on its fruit surfaces, and that some of the microbial constituents can potentially protect the plant under disease pressures from potential pathogenic microbial strain. Results also unequivocally indicated the potential of agronomic choices (especially, site selection/medium of growth) in reducing risk of disease pressures on plants. These results presents a starting point in development of effective biological control as well as integrated pest management (IPM) measures in peppers, for optimization of yield and its protection, globally. Doctoral

Resumen Introducción. Las especies cultivadas del género Capsicum, entre ellas C. chinense, son conocidas por la pungencia de sus frutos, sin embargo, existen muchos tipos de este ají que no presentan pungencia. La cocina venezolana es definida por el sabor característico de una clase de estos ajíes que no presentan pungencia, los cuales son llamados ajíes dulces, entre estos, los más conocidos y usados son los cultivares Rosita, Pepón y Llanero. Objetivo. Caracterizar los cultivares de ají Rosita, Pepón y Llanero mediante 53 caracteres morfológicos y determinar la relación fenética existente entre ellos. Materiales y métodos. En un diseño de bloques al azar con tres tratamientos (cultivares) y cinco repeticiones, se dispusieron 45 plántulas de cada cultivar en La Vigía, municipio Jiménez del estado Lara, Venezuela, en agosto del año 2017. El trasplante se efectuó en hileras separadas a 0,50 m, y las plántulas se distanciaron 0,50 m. sobre la hilera. Sobre las tres plantas de la hilera central de cada unidad experimental (quince plantas en total para cada cultivar) se determinó la categoría o el valor de atributos de tallo, hoja, flor, fruto y semilla. Resultados. El 42 % de estos atributos resultaron variables entre las plantas evaluadas, quince de ellos fueron categóricos y siete cuantitativos, y se detectaron en estos diferencias significativas (p

* This record is given in both English and Spanish. The company Peroxychem Spain S.L.U. has requested a safety assessment of the use of three aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid and peracetic acid as processing aids. 1-Hydroxy ethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) was used as a stabiliser. The proposed use is the antibacterial treatment of water used to wash citrus fruits and peppers in processing plants. When this water is disinfected, it can be reused for the consecutive washing of fruits and vegetables through a recirculating system, maintaining it in appropriate conditions and thus reducing water usage. These are the same aqueous solutions previously assessed by the AESAN Scientific Committee in 2018, however an increased dosage has been requested here so that the concentration of peracetic acid in washing solutions is increased from the previously assessed 45 ppm to 200 ppm. The requested dosages, both for washing citrus fruits and peppers, are 356 ml/100 l of water in the case of VigorOx 5 F&V, and 116 ml/100 l of water for VigorOx 15 F&V and VigorOx 15/10 F&V. Considering the most adverse scenario of the presence of residues in citrus fruits and peppers and the consumption of these citrus fruits and peppers in Europe, an estimated daily intake (EDI) of these residues as well as a consumer risk assessment by calculating the margin of safety (MOS) have been made. The Scientific Committee concludes that, based on the information provided by the applicant and taking into account the proposed composition and conditions of use, the usage of the aqueous solutions as processing aids does not involve a health risk for the consumer., ES; PDF; pfefsa@aesan.gob.es

Um dos atributos responsáveis pela boa qualidade das mudas é o seu cultivo em substratos com boa drenagem e disponibilidade de nutrientes. O objetivo a produção de mudas de pimentão em diferentes doses de compostos orgânicos no substrato. O experimento foi conduzido durante o mês de agosto de 2018, na Fundação Educacional de Andradina, localizada no município de Andradina, estado de São Paulo. Foi utilizado o delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial de 2x5 sendo dois substratos orgânicos, sendo eles: composto exaurido turfoso (EC) e composto com fibras de coco (CC) interagindo com cinco concentrações (C), ou seja: zero%; 25%; 50%; 75% e 100% e com cinco repetições, totalizando 50 parcelas ou tubetes plásticos. A elevação na concentração de compostos orgânicos no substrato para produção de mudas de pimentão proporcionou um maior desenvolvimento das plântulas. É recomendada a utilização de 70% de composto exaurido turfoso na composição do substrato na produção de mudas de pimentão. Pode utilizar a concentração de 100% o composto com fibra de coco na composição do substrato na produção de mudas de pimentão.Palavras-chave: Capsicum annuum L.; nutrição de plantas; hortaliça. ABSTRACT: One of the main responsible attributes for the good quality of seedlings is its cultivation in substrates with a good drainage and nutrients availability. This work aimed to study the production of pepper seedlings with different doses of organic compounds in substrate. The experiment was carried out in August, 2018, at Educational Foundation of Andradina, in Andradina, São Paulo State, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 2x5 factorial scheme, with two organic substrates: peaty exhausted compound (EC) and coconut fiber compound (CC), in five different concentrations: null %; 25%; 50%; 75% and 100%, with five repetitions, in total of fifty plots. The increase in the concentration of organic compounds in production of pepper seedlings promoted a greater development. It is recommended using 70% of peaty exhausted in the composition of substrate to the production of pepper seedlings and using 100% of coconut fiber in the composition of the substrate to the production of pepper seedlings.Keywords: Capsicum annuum L.; nutrition of plants; vegetables.

Sweet peppers are available year round, but taste the best and are less expensive during the summer.

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant Nissan Chemical Europe S.A.S. submitted two requests to the competent national authority in the Netherlands, respectively to modify the existing maximum residue level (MRL) in sweet pepper/bell pepper and to set an import tolerance in tree nuts for the active substance pyridaben. The data submitted in support of the requests were found to be sufficient to derive the MRL proposals of 0.3 mg/kg for sweet peppers/bell peppers and of 0.05* mg/kg for tree nuts. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of pyridaben in the commodities under consideration, at or above the validated limits of quantification (LOQs) of 0.01 mg/kg. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short‐term and long‐term intake of residues resulting from the use of pyridaben on imported tree nuts from United States and from the indoor use on sweet peppers/bell peppers according to the reported agricultural practices, is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health. The reliable end points, appropriate for use in regulatory risk assessment are presented.

The effect of camera viewpoint and fruit orientation on the performance of a sweet pepper maturity level classification algorithm was evaluated. Image datasets of sweet peppers harvested from a commercial greenhouse were collected using two different methods, resulting in 789 RGB&mdash, Red Green Blue (images acquired in a photocell) and 417 RGB-D&mdash, Red Green Blue-Depth (images acquired by a robotic arm in the laboratory), which are published as part of this paper. Maturity level classification was performed using a random forest algorithm. Classifications of maturity level from different camera viewpoints, using a combination of viewpoints, and different fruit orientations on the plant were evaluated and compared to manual classification. Results revealed that: (1) the bottom viewpoint is the best single viewpoint for maturity level classification accuracy, (2) information from two viewpoints increases the classification by 25 and 15 percent compared to a single viewpoint for red and yellow peppers, respectively, and (3) classification performance is highly dependent on the fruit&rsquo, s orientation on the plant.

El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de la cola de caballo y bicarbonato de sodio en el control de la oidiopsis que afecta al cultivo de pimiento bajo cubierta y su rendimiento. EEA Mendoza Fil: Longone, Maria Valeria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mendoza; Argentina Fil: Aguado, German Dario. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mendoza; Argentina Fil: Pisi, Gabriel Enrique. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mendoza; Argentina Fil: D'innocenzo, Sandra Haydeé. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mendoza; Argentina Fil: Uliarte, Ernesto Martin. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mendoza; Argentina

WOS: 000432227100003 The host resistance level of pure line materials was assessed in the genepool for the purpose of breeding. The highest resistance to the pathogen was observed in bell-type pepper. Moreover, genetic diversity of pure lines was investigated using selected inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers. Generally, genetic markers showed genetic diversity, so that long-type pure lines were separated from the other accessions. This is the first report on host reactions of Turkish pure lines as breeding material. These results provide significant information for future pepper breeding programs. TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [113O882, COST 1208] Supported by COST 1208 actions through TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey), Project No. 113O882.

Purpose In this study, vermicomposted tannery wastes were applied in the organic cultivation of sweet pepper in a greenhouse. The effects of this organic matter addition on plant development and on the distributions of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in plant tissues and organs were assessed. Methods In a greenhouse, organic sweet peppers were cultivated adding vermicomposted tannery to the substrate (sample VRC) and the results were compared with the samples control (dYL; only soil) and reference (NPK; adding mineral fertilizer). The growth, nutritive value and fruit production were assessed to evaluate the plant development in different types of substrate. Besides evaluating the biostimulant effect of vermicomposts, the distributions of Cr in plant tissues were also studied. Results Up to three harvested sweet peppers were obtained per plant, compared with only one fruit for the reference treatment with NPK addition. Based on the Cr dynamics in the plants, the highest concentration was found in the fruits, varied as follows: fruits > stem and stalks > leaves = root; however, the Cr concentration in the fruits was statistically the same across all treatments. Additionally, only Cr(III) was detected and quantified in the fruits. Conclusion The addition of vermicompost was biostimulating to plants and positively influenced their development. Based on the Cr dynamics in the plants, since the Cr concentration was the same across all treatments, it demonstrated that the addition of tannery residues to the vermicompost did not negatively influence the health benefits or food security of the produced fruits.

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of heavy metals Zinc(Zn), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Manganese (Mn) and Chromium (Cr) in different edible vegetables and fruits samples collected from the market of Bassioun district , EL – Gharbia Governorate, Egypt. Mineral contents were analyzed using Microwave Plasma – Atomic Emission Spectroscopy. The obtained results revealed that heavy metals of Zinc was below the permissible limits according to WHO / FAO in vegetable samples and values ranged between 2. 112 – 10.825 mg/kg but it ranged between 1.47 – 6.012 mg/kg in fruit samples.Concentrations of Cd were also below the permissible limits as mentioned with WHO/ FAO in most vegetables and fruits samples except for Potato (0.1 mg / kg) , Pear (0. 1 25 mg / kg) , Orange ( 0. 1 37 mg / kg ) and Zaghlol dates (0.225 mg / kg). According to the results, Zn concentration in vegetables and fruits were equal and above the permissible limits according to WHO / FAO limits. Concentrations of Pb was lower than the permissible limit WHO / FAO in most vegetables and fruit samples except of Green beans (0 .787 mg / kg), Onion ( 0. 337 mg / kg) , Potato (0. 775 mg / kg) , Guava ( 0. 625 mg / kg) showing above the WHO / FAO (2001). Concentrations of Mn in vegetable and fruit samples was lower than the permissible level set by the WHO / FAO which ranged between 0. 77 mg / kg – 4. 72 mg / kg ) in vegetable samples and 0.82 – 4.37 mg / kg in fruit samples respectively . Finally, concentrations of Cr was higher than the permissible limits according to WHO / FAO in all vegetable and fruit samples which ranged between 0. 212 mg / kg – 0 . 962 mg / kg in vegetable and 0.475 mg / kg – 0. 787 mg/kg in fruit samples.

Pepper is very popular vegetable crop in Southeast Europe and in Serbia as well. Wide genetic variability is essential in pepper breeding programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate variability for the most important fruit traits and differences between 28 sweet pepper genotypes from the working collection from the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops (Novi Sad, Serbia). The following traits were analyzed: fruit weight (g), fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm), fruit index, number of locules, number of apexes, pericarp thickness (mm), and total soluble solids (°Brix). Results confirmed great variability in evaluated pepper fruit traits. Genotypes were separated into individual groups based on fruit characteristics. According to our research, hierarchical cluster analysis represented differentiation among groups of genotypes more clearly than PCA, but not comparing to k-means. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed the similarity between genotypes, but k-means clustering did not. Genotypes from group 3 will be used in breeding for higher fruit weight and group 6 for thicker pericarp. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR 31030]