Effects of photo-selective netting on sweet pepper (capsicum annuum l.) plant growth and fruit quality at harvest.

M.Tech. Agriculture === Sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) are also known as bell peppers or capsicum belonging to the family Solanaceae. The sweet pepper contains various bioactive compounds along with significant amounts of beta-carotene (provitamin-A) and other similar compounds. This technologic...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mashabela, Ngwatshipane Madonna.
Format: Others
Language:en
Published: 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://encore.tut.ac.za/iii/cpro/DigitalItemViewPage.external?sp=1001867
Description
Summary:M.Tech. Agriculture === Sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) are also known as bell peppers or capsicum belonging to the family Solanaceae. The sweet pepper contains various bioactive compounds along with significant amounts of beta-carotene (provitamin-A) and other similar compounds. This technological study was carried out to investigate the influence of photo-selective nets (ChromatiNet™) (red, pearl and yellow), with 40% shading effect, on the morphological parameters (plant height, leaf chlorophyll, stem diameter, leaf area, number of leaves, number of flowers, number of fruit, fruit weight, marketable yield, and pest and disease incidence, the fruit quality parameters (fruit mass, firmness, colour, soluble solids content and titratable acidity) and health promoting compounds (ascorbic acid, lycopene content, β-carotene, total phenols and flavonoids, and antioxidant scavenging activity) of three selected sweet pepper cultivars at harvest maturity stage. The commercially used black net (25% shading) was also included for comparison measures (control). The photosynthetically active radiation, air temperature and relative humidity were monitored throughout the growing period.