Abstract
During 2006-2008 in Research Institute of Vegetable Crops at Skierniewice the studies were conducted on yielding and fruit quality of pepper cultivated by organic and conventional method. Two experiments were set on the nearby organic and conventional fields. The first one was conducted on the certified organic experimental field having red clover mixed with grasses as a fore-crop. Pest and disease control was provided according to organic standards. In conventionally managed field a mineral fertilization and chemical weed, pest and disease control was used. A fore crop for conventional pepper was a mixture of cereals with papilionaceous. In both experiments two kinds of field mulching was examined using fresh cut red clover and black polypropylene flees with no mulching for the control. The contents of vitamin C, β-carotene, soluble phenols and total flavonoides in matured fruits were examined.
The results revealed an impact of cultivation method and mulching on the yield and fruit quality of sweet pepper. In the first two years the conventional method was superior in respect of the total and marketable fruit yield. In the third year significantly better yielding was obtained from organic cultivation. The plants of conventional pepper suffered from soil borne diseases while organic plants showed good health conditions. Flees mulching increased the total yield of organic pepper, but the differences were significant in the last year only. Organic fruits distinguished themselves with the higher mean fruit weight, less wastes and more intensive redness as compared to conventional fruits. Chemical analysis revealed higher content of ascorbic acid, beta carotene, soluble phenols and total flavonoides in organic pepper as compared to conventional ones. Some beneficial effect of clover mulching on the content of ascorbic acid, β-carotene and soluble phenols irrespectively on the cultivation method was observed.
However the concentration of flavonoides was higher in fruits cultivated without mulching. Both examined mulching materials decreased amount of flavonoides in fruits irrespectively on cultivation method.