Effect of Light Treatment and Maturity Stage on Biomass Production and Bioactive Compounds of Two Pepper Cultivars under a Deep Water Culture Hydroponic System

Erika Kurucz, Gabriella Antal, Ida Kincses, Marianna Sipos, Miklós Gábor Fári and Imre J. Holb ()
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Erika Kurucz: Institute of Horticulture, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Gabriella Antal: Institute of Horticulture, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Ida Kincses: Institute of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Sciences, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Marianna Sipos: Institute of Horticulture, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Miklós Gábor Fári: Department of Applied Plant Biology, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Imre J. Holb: Institute of Horticulture, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi Str. 138, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 17, 1-20

Abstract: Previous pepper studies indicated that biomass production and the amounts of bioactive compounds were dependent on light sources, maturity processes and pepper genotypes. However, the above topic has received little attention in supplemental light versus cultivar combinations under a hydroponic growing system. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the biomass production (fruit, root, stem and leaf) and fruit bioactive compounds (vitamin C, total flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity-AC-FRAP, total polyphenol-TPC) of two pepper cultivars (‘Fehérözön’-Fö and ‘Szegedi 80’-S80) in three fruit maturity stages (green, beaker and red) under two LED light treatments (full-F and blue-white-BW spectrums) in a deep water culture hydroponic system. The stem biomass and water use for total and fruit biomass were significantly different for cultivars and light treatments. Light treatments, maturity stages and cultivars had significant effects on fruit biomass production and on all bioactive compounds. However, the results on the bioactive compounds varied according to the green, beaker and red maturity stages of the two pepper cultivars. In correlation analyses, 30 pair-variables correlated significantly and nine showed values r > 0.9 for fruit weight versus (vs.) vitamin C, fruit weight vs. AC-FRAP, fruit weight vs. TPC, vitamin C vs. AC-FRAP, vitamin C vs. TPC, AC-FRAP vs. TPC, and flavonoid vs. TPC. This study suggested that additional lights and maturity features of cultivar genotype strongly determined the biomass and bioactive compounds of pepper under a deep water culture hydroponic system.

Keywords: LED light; Capsicum annuum; water use; fresh weight; vitamin C; flavonoid; FRAP; total polyphenol; Pearson correlation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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