Abstract
Yield and fruit quality are two of the most important parameters for the profitability of vegetable crops. In commercial vegetable production, nitrogen (N) is commonly applied in excess, which is associated with nitrate (NO3−) leaching loss. In addition, excess N application may affect yield and fruit quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of N applications of very deficient N (N1, 2 mmol L−1), deficient N (N2, 8 mmol L−1), and conventional N (N3, 14 mmol L−1), according to local fertigation practices, in soil-grown muskmelon and sweet pepper crops in Almeria, South-Eastern Spain. The evaluation was conducted in three cultivars of each species. The yield and the fruit quality parameters of firmness, colour, total soluble solids (TSS) and morphometric variables were evaluated in two years for each species. For most parameters in both species, the effects of N, when significant, occurred regardless of cultivar. In muskmelon and sweet pepper, application of 8.2 mmol N L−1 (i.e., N2) was sufficient to achieve a maximum yield of 6.7 and 7.4 kg m−2, respectively. In muskmelon, very deficient N application led to an increase of 58% in the percentage of fruit discarded, mostly due to malformed and undersized fruits. Fruit firmness and red–green axis coordinate (a*) were not consistently affected by N in any of the crops. However, the fruit lightness (L*) increased with N addition in both species, likely because of increased chlorophyll pigments. With N addition, fruit TSS slightly decreased in muskmelon and slightly increased in sweet pepper. However, fruit TSS of both species were within reference values for commercialisation in the three N treatments. There were differences in yield between cultivars in muskmelon but not in sweet pepper, likely due to differences in fruit number in muskmelon. There were differences between cultivars in TSS and colour a* coordinate in both muskmelon and sweet pepper. Cultivars with higher TSS and a* coordinate will likely be more desirable for consumers because of the sweeter taste and more intense orange colour in muskmelon and reddish colour in sweet pepper. Overall, our manuscript showed that N application can be reduced, relative to the conventional N application, without reducing yield or fruit quality in muskmelon, yet additional studies should be conducted in sweet pepper to complement the results of the 2020 crop.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
In muskmelon, application of 8.2 mmol N L-1 (N2) was sufficient to achieve a maximum yield of 6.7 kg m-2.
- Taxon
- muskmelon
.jpg?width=60)
Cucumis meloe0 - Treatment
- application of 8.2 mmol N L−1 (i.e., N2)e0
- Outcome
- maximum yielde0
- Direction
- maximume0
- Value
- 6.7e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“In muskmelon and sweet pepper, application of 8.2 mmol N L−1 (i.e., N2) was sufficient to achieve a maximum yield of 6.7 and 7.4 kg m−2, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
In sweet pepper, application of 8.2 mmol N L-1 (N2) was sufficient to achieve a maximum yield of 7.4 kg m-2.
- Taxon
- sweet pepper
Capsicum annuume0 - Treatment
- application of 8.2 mmol N L−1 (i.e., N2)e0
- Outcome
- maximum yielde0
- Direction
- maximume0
- Value
- 7.4e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In muskmelon and sweet pepper, application of 8.2 mmol N L−1 (i.e., N2) was sufficient to achieve a maximum yield of 6.7 and 7.4 kg m−2, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
In muskmelon, very deficient N application increased the percentage of discarded fruit by 58%.
- Taxon
- muskmelonCucumis meloe0
- Treatment
- very deficient N applicatione0
- Outcome
- percentage of fruit discardede0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 58%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In muskmelon, very deficient N application led to an increase of 58% in the percentage of fruit discarded”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit lightness (L*) increased with N addition in both muskmelon and sweet pepper.
- Taxon
- muskmelon and sweet pepperCucumis meloCapsicum annuume0
- Treatment
- N additione1
- Outcome
- fruit lightness (L*)e1
- Direction
- increasede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In muskmelon and sweet pepper, application of 8.2 mmol N L−1 (i.e., N2) was sufficient”
e1“However, the fruit lightness (L*) increased with N addition in both species”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit firmness and a* coordinate were not consistently affected by N in muskmelon or sweet pepper.
- Taxon
- muskmelon and sweet pepperCucumis meloCapsicum annuume0
- Treatment
- Ne1
- Outcome
- Fruit firmness and red–green axis coordinate (a*)e1
- Direction
- not consistently affectede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In muskmelon and sweet pepper, application of 8.2 mmol N L−1 (i.e., N2) was sufficient”
e1“Fruit firmness and red–green axis coordinate (a*) were not consistently affected by N in any of the crops”
Claim · model-written summary
With N addition, fruit TSS slightly decreased in muskmelon.
- Taxon
- muskmelonCucumis meloe0
- Treatment
- N additione0
- Outcome
- fruit TSSe0
- Direction
- slightly decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“With N addition, fruit TSS slightly decreased in muskmelon and slightly increased in sweet pepper”
Claim · model-written summary
With N addition, fruit TSS slightly increased in sweet pepper.
- Taxon
- sweet pepperCapsicum annuume0
- Treatment
- N additione0
- Outcome
- fruit TSSe0
- Direction
- slightly increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“With N addition, fruit TSS slightly decreased in muskmelon and slightly increased in sweet pepper”
Claim · model-written summary
Yield differed between muskmelon cultivars but not between sweet pepper cultivars.
- Taxon
- muskmelonCucumis meloe0
- Material
- cultivarse0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- differencese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There were differences in yield between cultivars in muskmelon but not in sweet pepper”
Claim · model-written summary
N application can be reduced relative to conventional N application without reducing yield or fruit quality in muskmelon.
- Taxon
- muskmelonCucumis meloe0
- Treatment
- N applicatione0
- Outcome
- yield or fruit qualitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Overall, our manuscript showed that N application can be reduced, relative to the conventional N application, without reducing yield or fruit quality in muskmelon”
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