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Regulation of Black Pepper Inflorescence Quantity by Shading at Different Growth Stages
Author(s) -
Zu Chao,
Wu Guiping,
Li Zhigang,
Yang Jianfeng,
Wang Can,
Yu Huan,
Wu Huasong
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/php.12600
Subject(s) - inflorescence , shading , pepper , biology , horticulture , yield (engineering) , piperine , agronomy , botany , art , materials science , pharmacology , metallurgy , visual arts
Black pepper is a perennial plant that can bloom throughout the year. It is generally expected that pepper inflorescence quantity could be minimized at the nonfull‐bloom stage. The objective of this study was to find an appropriate shading measure that could inhibit blooming at other growing stages except the full‐bloom stage and did not cause any reduction in pepper yield and quality. In this study, pepper trees were shaded up to 15%, 30%, 60% and 75%, respectively, and the inflorescence quantity, photosynthetic characteristics, pepper yield and quality traits were investigated at every growing stage. The results showed that the effect of shading on pepper yield decreased as time progressed. Shading treatment did not alter the composition of piperine and volatile oil, but reduced the moisture content. Based on the correlation between photosynthetic parameter and inflorescence number, the appropriate shading intensities for regulating inflorescence quantity at different phenological stages were determined. Moreover, it was found that the regulation of inflorescence quantity could be achieved by controlling leaf temperature during recovery to filling period. This research outcome also will give us some guidelines to develop other management strategies that control leaf temperature and regulate inflorescence quantity to consequently improve pepper yield.