Simulation of the impacts of high temperature stress on pepper (Capsicum annum L.) yields

Abstract

Improving the accuracy of yield predictions for cash crops such as pepper (Capsicum annum L.) has increasingly captured the interest of many scientists in South Korea. This study marks the first initiative to develop yield prediction tools for peppers cultivated under heat stress conditions. To refine the yield prediction model, field studies were conducted to establish the plant growth curve and parameter sets for two different pepper accessions, PHR18 and PHR23, under heat stress conditions. According to field studies, the two pepper accessions exhibited distinct growth patterns under prolonged heat stress conditions. PHR18 experienced significant heat stress effects in the first month of exposure, whereas it demonstrated stress priming to regain growth by the 75th day of heat stress exposure. PHR23, having a larger leaf area, accumulated more biomass than fruit yields in the initial month of exposure, thus increasing its yields at higher temperature conditions due to enhanced photosynthesis rates. The crop growth curve and parameters were formulated based on these studies, and the open field simulations were calibrated with measured yields from multiple locations in South Korea from 2020-2024. Consequently, a robust pepper growth model was developed and employed to assess the effects of heat stress on the yields of two pepper accessions across various South Korean locations. The development of this crop growth model under stressful conditions will aid farmers and policymakers in making informed decisions during extreme events.