ENHANCEMENT OF GROWTH IN ORNAMENTAL PEPPER (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L.) PLANTS WITH APPLICATION OF A COMMERCIAL SEAWEED PRODUCT, STIMPLEX (R)

Abstract

Seaweed extracts have been used as biostimulant or biofertilizers in agriculture to improve growth and development in plants, and enhance yield. There are a wide variety of commercial seaweed products for use on plant growth promotion. In this study, a greenhouse experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of Stimplex (R), a commercial liquid seaweed extract derived from Ascophyllum nodosum, on growth of ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plants. Containing a complex array of bioactive compounds, Stimplex (R) is a premium organic biostimulant that promotes the growth, development, and yield in a wide range of conventional and organic grown horticultural and ornamental crops. Ornamental pepper plants were treated with Stimplex (R) as either a soil drench or foliar spray at 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 ml L-1 concentrations. The treatments were repeated at 10-day intervals until the end of the experiment. Application of Stimplex (R) to ornamental pepper plants improved stem diameter, plant height, number of leaves and leaf area, leaf chlorophyll content, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root fresh weight and dry weight compared to the control plants. The results of this study indicate that Stimplex (R) may be a viable tool for improving growth of ornamental pepper plants.