Amino acids foliar spraying palliate the negative effects of low irrigation on greenhouse sweet Cayenne pepper

Abstract

Sweet Cayenne pepper is a nutrient‐dense, sweet‐tasting greenhouse vegetable that often faces water stress in dry areas, and optimizing growth with minimum water consumption is crucial. In this study, we investigated the impacts of amino acids (AAs) foliar application on reducing water stress losses in sweet Cayenne pepper cv. “Lombard” under greenhouse conditions. The pepper bushes were irrigated in 3‐day and 6‐day intervals and simultaneously sprayed with an AA fertilizer (0, 150, and 300 mg/L). Vegetative growth, reproductive traits, and yield parameters were measured. Results showed significant decreases in the plant height, the roots length, SPAD, leaf greenness index, and the pepper leaves turn yellow under brief drought stress. The number of flowers was reduced by up to 50%, and the 3‐month yield decreased significantly from 7 to 5.05 kg/m2. However, with AAs foliar application, vegetative growth, fruit number, and yield increased significantly. The highest yield, 2.93 kg/plant, was observed in 300 mg/L AAs, while the minimum yield, with an average of 1.83 kg/plant recorded under water stress treatment without AAs application. The spray of AAs fertilizer remarkably improves the yield and quality of pepper fruit and reverses the destructive effects of low irrigation. The future direction could focus on the mechanism of the positive impact of AA foliar application on growth, yield, and quality of the fruit, particularly in water stress conditions, to further optimize growth and minimize water consumption.