Mohammad Hossein Aminifard - Associate Prof, Department of Horticultural Science and Special Plants Regional Research Center,College of Agriculture, University of Birjand, Iran.

The effects of applications of organic fertilizer "cow manure" on antioxidant activities of hotpepper (Capsicum annuum L.) evaluated under field conditions. Treatments consisted of fourlevels of cow manure (۰, ۵, ۱۰, and ۱۵ t ha-۱) for both the ۲۰۱۷ and ۲۰۱۸ growing seasons.The results indicated that antioxidant activities, total flavonoid, carbohydrate, and carotenoidscontents influenced by cow manure. However, total phenolic and capsaicin content were notaffected significantly by cow manure treatment applications. Cow manure applied to at ۱۵ tha-۱ resulted in the highest antioxidant activities (۸۶.۸۶ and ۶۰.۴۰%) and carbohydrate contents(۲۰۴.۵۰ and ۹۱.۰۰ mg g-۱), while the lowest values recorded in the control treatment in ۲۰۱۷and ۲۰۱۸ (respectively). The highest and lowest the total flavonoid obtained in ۱۰ t ha-۱ of cowmanure (۴۰۱.۷۰ and ۴۱۰.۱۳ mg ۱۰۰ g-۱) and control treatment (۳۱۳.۷۳ and ۳۳۳.۸۳ mg ۱۰۰ g-۱), respectively in both years. The lycopene contents were ۴۷ and ۶۰% higher in ۵ t ha-۱ of cowdung fertilizer than control treatments in both seasons. The minimum β –Carotene recorded incontrol, and the maximum observed in ۵ t ha-۱ of cow manure fertilizer (۴۱۲.۵۰ and ۹۶۲.۴۳mg kg-۱) in both years. The results confirm that the use of cow manure has a positive effect onthe antioxidant activity of hot pepper under field conditions.

Antioxidant activities, Carotenoids contents, Cow manure, Pepper