influence of different rates of nitrogen fertilizer on growth, yield and fruit quality of sweet pepper (capsicum annum l. var. california wander)

Purpose: vegetables are important sources of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. the fruit of bell pepper is one of the most important commercial crops in the world. this study was conducted to determine the effects of nitrogen (n) doses on the growth and yield of sweet pepper (capsicum annum l. var. california wander) under field conditions. research method: treatments consisted of 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg n ha^−1. plant height, leaf chlorophyll index, flower number, yield, fruit seed number, 1000 seed weight and vitamin c were assessed at immature and mature stages. findings: nitrogen doses affected significantly plant vegetative growth (plant height, lateral stem number, and leaf chlorophyll). the highest length and number of lateral stem and number of leaf were obtained in plants treated with 100 kg n ha^-1. the results indicated that reproductive factors (weight and volume of fruit, plant yield, and 1000 seed weight) were influenced by n fertilizer. it was observed that fertilization with 150 kg n ha^-1 resulted to the highest fruit weight and fruit yield. although there were no significant differences in vitamin c content among treated plants with different nitrogen levels at a mature stage, it was shown significant differences between treated and control plants. research limitations: evaluation of more sources of n fertilizer such as ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate on growth and yield of bell pepper possibly had a better outcome of this project. originality/value: results showed that n fertilization has a strong impact on the vegetative, flowering and reproductive growth of pepper plants under field conditions.