Response of Sweet Peppers to Solar Reflectors and Reflective Mulches1

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Abstract
Sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Midway) were grown in field plots with diffuse solar reflectors and/or white polyethylene mulches. Solar reflectors significantly increased photosynthetically-active radiation (PAR) levels over the season. The reflective flux in PAR of mulched ground surfaces was 3 times as large as the bare soil plots. Plants grown with a white mulch were shorter, fruited earlier, and produced higher overall yields than unmulched plants. Solar reflectors did not affect earliness to fruit and increased the overall yield of fruit to a lesser extent than mulched plants. Stem diameter and fresh and dry weights were unaffected by any treatment. Solar reflectors minimally affected plant growth and yield. The beneficial effect of reflective mulches could not be ascribed to solar enhancement, to soil moisture conservation, or to other microclimatic factors.

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