Journal of Bio-Environment Control ISSN:1229-4675(Print) 2765-3641(Online) 생물환경조절학회지

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of cultivation period and rockwool block size on the growth and early yield of paprika transplants grown in a closed transplant production system. Paprika seeds were sown and germinated in three different size of rockwool blocks (45 × 40 × 35, 70 × 70 × 60, 100 × 100 × 65mm) and cultivated in a closed transplant production system for 23, 30, and 37 days after sowing. Paprika transplants were cultivated using 100 × 100 × 65mm rockwool blocks in a greenhouse following a conventional and typical production method for comparing with the growth of paprika transplants grown in a closed transplant production system. Also, we transplanted paprika transplants grown for 23, 30, and 37 days in a closed transplant production system and greenhouse to rockwool slabs and investigated fresh weight of fruits and yield 125 days after sowing. The growth of paprika transplants grown in 70 × 70 × 60mm rockwool blocks in a closed transplant production system was highest, and the quality of paprika transplant grown in a closed transplant production system was better than in a greenhouse. Rockwool block size and cultivation period in a closed transplant production system did not affect fresh weight of fruits, however, yield was largest when paprika transplants were cultivated using 70 × 70 × 60 and 100 × 100 × 65mm rockwool blocks for 23 days in a closed transplant production system. These results suggest that decreasing rockwool block size and cultivation period can be strategically used to enhance transplant quality and yield of paprika, as paprika transplants were cultivated in a closed transplant production system.