Effect of Some Soilless Culture Techniques on Sweet Pepper Growth , Production , Leaves Chemical Contents and Water Consumption under Greenhouse Conditions

This study was carried out in the fiberglass greenhouse at the farm of the vegetable crops department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, throughout the two growing seasons of 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 to investigate the effect of some soilless culture techniques (perlite, rice straw and modified plant plane hydroponic) on the growth and yield of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), cv., 7158 comparing with sandy soil. The experiment included 4 treatments with 3 replicates arranged in a randomized complete block design. Data indicated that sweet pepper plants grown on any used soilless culture substrate consumed lower quantities of water and nutrient solution than in sandy soil, the plants grown on straw, followed by perlite then plant plane hydroponic, respectively, in this regard. Growing pepper plants on perlite and plant plane hydroponic caused a significant decrease in all vegetative growth characters during the early stage of the growth periods (90 days after transplanting), as compared with sandy soil. In contrast, vegetative growth characters of pepper plants cultured on modified plant plane hydroponic and perlite media were generally better than those recorded on plants grown on sandy soil, 120 days after transplanting. Nonmarketable yield, as well as N and K % in leaves of plants cultured on modified plant plane hydroponic and perlite substrate were significantly lower than those recorded on plants cultured on sandy soil, while the reverse was recorded concerning Ca and P concentrations in leaves. Plants grown on plant plane hydroponic significantly exceeded sandy soil in total and marketable yield, whereas the reverse was true concerning culturing on perlite substrate. Plants grown on straw medium significantly exceeded all other media; i.e. plant plane hydroponic, perlite and sandy soil, in their vegetative growth characters. So, transplanting pepper plants on straw culture media produced significantly higher root fresh weight, number of leaves per plant, number of branches per plant and plant height as compared with sandy soil. Weight of early, marketable and total yield obtained from plants grown on rice straw were significantly higher than recorded on plants grown on sand or any other used media. N and K concentrations in leaves were the highest in sandy soil while they were the lowest in straw culture. In contrast, the reverse was recorded concerning P and Ca. Data indicated that straw gave the highest value treatment to leaf chlorophyll content, phosphorus percent and calcium percent in pepper leaves at 120 and 180 days of the two seasons. Straw culture may be recommended for the high sweet pepper production and reducing water consumption under greenhouse conditions.