The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of shading grids of different densities on the growth, development and productivity of sweet pepper plants under irrigation conditions of the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. The study was carried out at the Institute of Vegetable and Melon Growing of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine according to generally accepted methods using the field research method. The implementation of the research provided for determining the impact of the introduction of shading plants with grids with a density of 45% and 60% on biometric parameters and productivity of sweet pepper plants, economic indicators of cultivation efficiency. It was found that shading provides a significant increase in the diameter of sweet pepper plants for both varieties (by 15.1-23.7%), and only for the Liubasha variety – an increase in plant height (by 17.8-21.5%) and fruit height (by 10.1-15.2%). Shading using a grid with a density of 45% provides a significant increase in the number of fruits on the plant for both varieties (by 11.5% for the Liubasha variety and by 48.5% for the Svitozar variety). Increasing the density parameter of shading nets to 60% leads to a decrease in the number of fruits on plants. It was noted that for the Liubasha variety, the growth of the average fruit weight when using shading is 11.1-25.6%, for the Svitozar variety, this indicator decreases by 17.9-60.2%. A significant increase in the yield of sweet pepper was provided by the use of shading with a grid with a density of 45% only for the Liubasha variety (an increase of 24.3%). According to this technological approach, the economic parameters of growing sweet pepper are increased (profit up to 14.75 UAH/m2, profitability up to 103%). The results of the study may be useful for small and medium-sized farmers who grow peppers in the open ground, to reduce the risks associated with heat and temperature changes
Capsicum annuum L., density of the shading grid, biometric parameters of plants, productivity, profitability
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