Figure 1
Bell pepper fruit diameter (A), length (B), shape index (C), and pericarp thickness (D) in 2016 as affected by shade levels. The solid lines were fit by either linear or quadratic regressions. The error bars represent mean ± SE
Figure 2
(A) Nitrogen, (B) phosphorus, (C) potassium, (D) calcium, (E) magnesium, and (F) sulfur content in bell pepper fruit (mature green) as affected by shade level (spring 2017). The solid lines were fit by linear regression. The error bars represent mean ± SE
Figure 3
(A) Boron, (B) zinc, (C) manganese, and (D) iron content in bell pepper fruit (mature green) as affected by shade level (spring 2017). The solid lines were fit by either linear or quadratic regressions. The error bars represent mean ± SE
Table 1
Average incidence and severity of BER and sunscald on bell pepper fruit during summer 2017 and 2018 (pooled across shade levels)
| Year | Sunscald incidence (%) | Sunscald severity | BER incidence (%) | BER severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 7.51 | 0.35b | 2.06b | 0.30b |
| 2018 | 11.26 | 1.02a | 58.38a | 2.61a |
| p | ns | 0.014 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 |
[i] Means within the same column followed by the same letters are not statistically different according to Student's t-test (p ≤ 0.05); ns – nonsignificant
Figure 4
Sunscald incidence (A, B) and severity index (C, D) in 2017 and 2018, respectively, as affected by shade levels in bell pepper. The solid lines were fit by quadratic regression. The error bars represent mean ± SE
Figure 5
Bell pepper fruit blossom-end rot (BER) incidence (A, B) and BER severity index (C, D) in 2017 and 2018, respectively, as affected by shade levels. The solid lines were fit by either linear or quadratic regressions. The error bars represent mean ± SE
Figure 6
Rates of fruit water loss (A, B) and transpiration (C, D) in bell pepper as affected by shade levels (A, C) in 2016 and storage period (B, D) in 2017. Fruit (20 per treatment) were harvested at the mature green stage. Water loss (weight loss) rate of individual fruit was determined daily gravimetrically during a 7-day keeping period (20 °C, 1.50 kPa vapor pressure difference, and less than 0.2 m·s−1 air velocity). The solid lines were fit by quadratic regression. The error bars represent mean ± SE
Figure 7
Relative expression of NPR1 and PR1 in mature green bell pepper fruits as affected by shade level in 2016. Means (columns) with the same letter are not significantly different by Tukey's HSD test at P<0.05. The error bars represent the mean ± SE
Table 2
Average of daily maximal and minimal temperatures (°C) and cumulative rainfall (mm) during the growing seasons in 2016, 2017, and 2018
| Year | Mean daily maximal temperature (°C) | Mean daily minimal temperature (°C) | Cumulative rainfall (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 31.91 | 20.07 | 164.08 |
| 2017 | 30.80 | 20.20 | 236.98 |
| 2018 | 31.50 | 21.60 | 403.35 |
[i] Weather data were obtained from the nearby University of Georgia weather station (less than 300 m)