Effects of nutrition and media on vegetative and reproductive characteristics of pepino (Solanum muricatum) as a new vegetable

This experiment was carried to find out the effects of foliar fertilization and growing media on some of vegetative and reproductive traits of the new vegetable pepino (Solanum muricatum) in a pot culture in outdoor space during five month period in Mashhad. Foliar fertilization treatments were used in this study including foliar fertilization once every three weeks, once a week and control (no foliar fertilization). Media treatments also included soil, soil mixed with vermicompost, soil mixed with sand, soil mixed with peat moss and a mixture of soil, sand and peat moss. This experiment was conducted in a factorial (35) based on a completely randomized design with 6 replications. Traits such as number of shoots, leaf area, number of flower per bush and number of fruits per bush were measured by the stage of ripening fruits. The results showed that the foliar fertilization and media treatments in all of traits except for the effect of media on leaf area were significant different. In foliar fertilization treatments, the treatment of once every three weeks Resulted in significant increas in comparison to the control (P<0.01) and compared to the treatment of once a week showed significant increase in the number of shoots and number of fruit (P<0.01). Foliar fertilization treatment once a week compared to the control except for the number of fruits has also significant increase in all traits (P<0.01). In the growing media, treatment on vegetative and reproductive traits of pepino, the mixed of soil and peat moss showed significant increase in comparison to soil at %1 level on the traits such as number of shoots, number of flowers and number of fruits. This growing media also has significant effect on the traits of number of shoots and number of fruits compared to the mixture of soil, sand and peat moss as well as soil mixed with sand (P<0.01). Effect of growing media on leaf area showed no significant difference.