Two field experiments were carried out at Kafer El-Wekala Sherbin, Dakahlia governorate, Egypt, during the two successive seasons of 2004 and 2005 to study the effect of foliar spray with folic acid and some amino acids i.e., methionine, lysine and cysteine and their combinations on chemical composition, flowering, fruit setting, yield and quality of sweet pepper.
The main findings obtained from this investigation showed that:
- Foliar spray of pepper plants with 50 or 100 ppm of folic acid with methionine, lysine and Cysteine mixture resulted in the highest significant total protein and total sugars in leaves dry weigh.
- Foliar spray with the mixture of 50 ppm of folic acid with lysine and cysteine amino acids enhanced significantly number of flowers and decreased fruit sheding of pepper plants to 17.2%, on the other hand, there was no significant differences could be detected with flowering time with all used foliar spray treatments compared with control.
- Foliar application of folic acid at 50 ppm with methionine, lysine and cysteine amino acids mixture led to the highest significant average fruit weight.
- Foliar spray with 50 or 100 ppm of folic acid with methionine, lysine and cysteine mixture resulted in the highest significant average fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit dry weight, fruit total soluble solids, and fruit vitamin C. On the other hand fruit length did not significantly affected by all used interaction treatments.
- The lowest nitrate content in fruit fresh weight was resulted from foliar application of 50 ppm of folic acid with methionine, lysine and cysteine mixture.