Evaluating the effects of production system and cultivar on the development of silvering in bell pepper fruit

Evaluating the effects of production system and cultivar on the development of silvering in bell pepper fruit

Summary

Percentage of bell pepper fruit with ‘silvering’ varied significantly depending on bell pepper cultivar and production system. Across all 4 production systems at RAREC in 2007, percent silvering was highest in phytophthora-tolerant bell peppers cultivars Paladin (26%) and Aristotle (22%) followed by Revolution (7%) and phytophthora-susceptible cultivars, Camelot (6%) and Alliance (6%). Across all 4 production systems at the on-farm sites, percent silvering was highest in phytophthora-tolerant bell peppers cultivars Paladin (31%) and Aristotle (29%) followed by Revolution (11%) and phytophthora-susceptible cultivars, Camelot (5%) and Alliance (7%). In general, more fruit silvering developed on highly tolerant phytophthora cultivars Paladin and Aristotle compared to the intermediate-tolerant cultivar Revolution and phytophthora-susceptible cultivars Alliance and Camelot.

Objectives/Performance Targets

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of 4 production systems and 5 cultivar on the development of skin separation or ‘silvering’ in bell pepper fruit.

Accomplishments/Milestones

The results of this trial comparing the effects of production system and cultivar on the development of silvering determined that more fruit developed silvering in highly-tolerant phytophthora cultivars ‘Paladin’ and ‘Aristotle’ compared to the intermediate phytophthora-tolerant cultivar ‘Revolution’ and phytophthora-susceptible cultivars ‘Alliance’ and ‘Camelot’. Production systems differed in the amount of silvering that developed on fruit of cultivars with varying levels of Phytophthora-tolerance.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Changes in production system, such as adopting, raised bare soil beds with drip irrigation instead of raised beds with black plastic mulch, and/or changing cultivar based on the potential for phytophthora development may be simple solutions easily adopted by commercial pepper producers throughout the northeast. Such that, in some areas in the state and region where potential losses due to phytophthora are low, phytophthora-susceptible cultivars could be grown with lower chances for the development of silvering and losses to phytophthora blight. In areas where phytophthora may be extremely destructive, planting a phytophthora-resistant cultivar (which may be more prone to silvering) may be necessary, however, with the adoption of a production system which decreases the chances for silvering development, losses in fruit quality may be reduced.

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