Improving quantitative and qualitative characteristics of sweet pepper using GA3 and CaCl2 treatments in Ilam region condition

In order to study the effects of GA3and CaCl2 treatments in resolve the problems of sweet pepper culture in Ilam region (including small size fruits with sunscald and blossom end rot disorders), this study was carried out in Ilam University in 2012. For that, GA3 (50 mg/l) and CaCl2 (0.5%) treatments were sprayed at two (fruit set and 15 days thereafter) and three (fruit set, 10 and 20 days thereafter) times on the ‘California Wonder’ peeper and after ripening fruit characteristics were investigated. The results showed that, in most of the studied traits, there were no significant differences between two and three spraying times. However, GA3 in comparison to control, significantly increased yield, fruit number, marketability, fruit diameter, fruit weight, flesh firmness, fruit dry matter, ascorbic acid content, antioxidant capacity, chlorophyll content, plant height, internodes length, leaf area and lateral branch number and decreased sunscald and blossom end rot rates. CaCl2 treatment as compared to control increased fruit dry matter, flesh firmness, fruit thickness, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll content, and reduced sunscald and blossom end rot. However, CaCl2 treatment had no significant effects on vegetative properties, including stem height, shoot diameter, internodes length, leaf area, lateral branch number, as well as fruit size and yield. According to these results, application of both GA3 and CaCl2 treatments can be effective in improving the qualitative and quantitative properties of sweet pepper.