Determination the effects of boron application on plant growth, yield, fruit characteristics a seed yield in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

In this study, boron fertilization (0 mg/l, 50 mg/l, 100 mg/l) was applied to 3 different pepper varieties (Doğanay dolmalık, Teoman kapya and Üçburun) in different periods and at different doses in the Southeastern Anatolia Region; the effects of boron fertilization on yield, fruit and seed quality were investigated. Boron fertilization was applied in two different ways; It was applied to group 1 plants during the first flowering period, and to group 2 plants during both flowering and 15 days after this application. Within the scope of the study, plant, fruit and seed quality criterias and fruit and seed yield parameters were examined. The best results were obtained with 100 mg/l boron dose for Doğanay pepper variety in terms of plant parameters; 100 mg/l boron dose for Teoman pepper variety in terms of fruit parameters; and 100 mg/l boron dose for Teoman and Doğanay pepper varieties in terms of seed parameters. In this context, applying boron application during both flowering and fruit setting periods in addition to variety selection can be accepted as a recommended application since it will increase quality criteria and fruit and seed yield in pepper. It was found that 100 mg/l boron application in pepper increased plant height (99.44 cm), number of nodes (23.33 pieces), stem thickness (16 mm), fruit yield (1147.69 g/plant), fruit weight (82.89 g/piece), fruit length (13.78 cm), 1000 seed weight (5.93 g), and seed number (112.00 pieces), seed yield (35.21 g/plant). The highest value in fruit number was obtained from 50 mg/l boron application (14.70 fruits/plant). Keywords: Pepper, Boron, Yield, Fruit Flesh Thickness, Seeds Yield