EFFECT OF SULPHUR AND PHOSPHATE FERTILIZATION ON GROWTH YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF PEPPER (Capsicum annuum, L.) a- Vegetative growth and chemical constituents of leaves

Two field experiments were carried out at El-Baramoon Farm, Mansoura Horticultural Research Station, during the summer seasons of 2002 and 2003.The study aimed to investigate the effect of sulphur levels(0, 150 and 300 kg S/fed/), and phosphorus fertilization levels (0,30, 60 and 90 kg P₂O₅/fed.) and their interactions on the vegetative growth parameters ( plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh wt./plant and dry wt./plant), leaf chlorophyll contents and chemical compositions of sweet pepper cv. California Wonder. All tested vegetative growth parameters increased with the increase in sulphur and phosphorus levels.The increments were significant except those of number of branches per plant. The interaction effects showed that the highest level of sulphur (300 kg S/fed) plus the highest phosphorus level (90 kg P₂O₅/ fed) were of superior effects on all the studied vegetative growth parameters.
 Chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll and chlorophyll a:b ratio significantly increased with increasing either sulphur or phosphorus application levels, over the control. The interaction effects appeared the highest contents of chlorophyll a,b and total chlorophyll with the highest levels of both sulphur (300 kg S/fed) and phosphorus (90 kg P₂O₅/fed.)
Leaf contents of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur increased significantly with the sulphur and phosphorus fertilization, compared with controls. The increments were in line with the increase in the added sulphur and phosphorus levels.  The interaction effects indicated that leaves from plants fertilized with the highest level of sulphur (300 kg S/fed.) plus the highest level of phosphorus (90 kg P₂O₅/ fed) resulted in the highest contents of N, P, K and sulphur.
The highest leaf contents of Fe, Zn and Mn were detected in plants fertilized with sulphur at 300 kg S./fed. and phosphorus at 60 kg P₂O₅/fed.Leaves of plants treated
with sulphur at 300 kg S/fed. combined with phosphorus level at 60 kg P₂O₅/ /fed., had the highest contents of Fe, Zn and Mn.