The experiment was conducted from June to November 2022 in a plastic greenhouse located on the laboratory field of the Biotechnical Faculty, of the University of Ljubljana. The Chili pepper plants grown on hydroponic system and in the soil covered with a plastic PE film were compared. The fruits of the plants grown in the soil were harvested on 7th of September and of the plants grown in the hydroponic system on 13th of October. Four cultivars were tested, one of the Capsicum annum species ('Cayenne') and three of Capsicum chinense ('Habanero yellow', 'Habanero chocolate' and 'Carolina reaper'). The total mass of fruits per plant and the mass, height and width of individual fruits were measured. In addition, the color parameters and dry matter content were determined. For the cultivar 'Cayenne', the average number of fruits per plant (187.1), the average total fruit mass per plant (939.9 g) and the expected yield per hectare (29.38 t/ha) of the plants cultivated in the hydroponic system were higher than the values of the plants grown in soil (153, 507 g and 15,39 t/ha, respectively). In other cultivars, the values were higher in the plants grown in soil. The greatest difference was observed in the cultivar 'Habanero yellow', where the average number of fruits per plant, the average total fruit mass per plant and the predicted yield per hectare were 97.55, 1585.8 g/plant and 47.06 t/ha, respectively, in soil grown plants and 22.5, 305 g and 7.59 t/ha, respectively, in hydroponics grown plants. Fruits of the cultivar 'Cayenne' averaged about the same weight in both cropping systems and were taller and wider in hydroponic cropping. The fruits of the other cultivars has greater weight, height and width when grown in soil. All cultivars had higher dry matter content when grown in soil, with the difference being greatest for the 'Cayenne' and 'Carolina reaper' cultivars.
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