Ornamental Traits and Sensory Analysis of ‘Biquinho Vermelha’ Pepper Treated with Paclobutrazol

This work aimed to determine the effect of PBZ concentrations and application protocols on the ornamental quality and global preference of customers. PBZ was applied in five concentrations by three protocols (drench at transplanting, drench at 30 days after transplanting and immersion). At commercial maturity, the plants were evaluated for plant growth parameters related to height and canopy characteristics, fruits and leaves, in addition to sensory analysis. PBZ produced plants with darker green leaves and the drench method was more effective in modulating plant growth pa-rameters compared to immersion. Conversely, the sensory analysis showed a greater preference among evaluators for plants treated with PBZ at 2.5 and 5 mg L-1 via drench at 30 DAT or through immersion (IM), even though IM was not associated with any of the ornamental quality parameters evaluated. Likewise, the application of PBZ by drench during transplanting is not recommended as the plants showed a reduced number and size of fruits, which affected the ornamental value of the plants and global preference. Therefore, PBZ applied by drench 30DAT at concentrations of 2.5 and 5 mg L-1 produced ‘Biquinho Vermelha’ pepper plants with attractive ornamental characteristics being an alternative method for producers of potted ornamental plants.