Prohexadione calcium and KH₂PO₄ synergy optimizes pod pepper plant architecture for mechanized harvesting and boosts yield and fruit quality.

ABSTRACT: Labor shortages and rising high labor costs are primary drivers of increased production costs in pod pepper cultivation. While mechanization represents a viable solution, current incompatibility between agronomic practices and agricultural machinery constrains its efficiency. This underscores the critical need for plant architecture regulation technologies to enable effective mechanized production. This study evaluated the effects of foliar spraying of plant growth regulator prohexadione calcium (ProCa) combined with different substances on the plant architecture, yield and quality of pod peppers. Five treatments were set up in the experiment: (1) ProCa, (2) ProCa + KH₂PO₄ (ProCa + KDP), (3) ProCa + boron (ProCa + B), (4) ProCa + mepiquat chloride (ProCa + MC), (5) wa

SUBMITTER: Geng Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12302561 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature