Table 6.

Effect of effective microorganisms and nitrogen levels on the nutrient contents in the leaves of hot pepper (Capsicum annum L.) plants grown in saline soil in spring and autumn seasons.

Treatments		N	P	K+	Ca2+	Na+
		(mg g-1 DW)
Seasons		NS	*	*	*	*
SS		20.7±1.16a	4.0±0.38a	14.69±0.34a	16.10±0.27a	12.73±0.38a
AS		20.6±0.63a	3.8±0.38b	13.60±0.47b	15.07±0.35b	12.07±0.42b
EMs		**	**	**	**	**
EMs-		17.7±0.54a	3.8±0.31b	13.02±0.34b	14.82±0.32b	13.44±0.34a
EMs+		23.3±0.60b	4.0±0.35a	15.28±0.32a	16.36±0.23a	11.36±0.30b
N levels		**	**	*	**	**
N120		18.9±1.06c	3.6±0.20c	13.55±0.54b	14.51±0.39c	13.55±0.43a
N150		20.9±1.01b	4.0±0.28b	14.46±0.54a	15.84±0.33b	12.28±0.35b
N180		22.3±1.17a	4.1±0.26a	14.44±0.48a	16.41±0.30a	11.37±0.50c
EMs × N		**	**	**	**	**
EMs-	N120	15.9±0.57e	3.6±0.09c	12.43±0.73d	13.56±0.53d	14.76±0.26a
	N150	18.2±0.79d	3.8±0.10c	13.09±0.66cd	15.06±0.42c	12.93±0.46b
	N180	18.9±1.02d	4.1±0.12ab	13.53±0.25c	15.83±0.25b	12.64±0.60b
EMs+	N120	21.9±1.01c	3.6±0.11c	14.67±0.48b	15.47±0.18bc	12.35±0.38bc
	N150	23.7±0.95b	4.3±0.10a	15.82±0.29a	16.62±0.25a	11.63±0.41c
	N180	25.7±0.58a	4.0±0.12b	15.36±0.78ab	16.99±0.46a	10.09±0.29d

Data represent the single effects of growing seasons, EMs, N levels, or the interaction effect of EMs × N levels. Average values in each column followed by the same letters indicate no significant difference at P ≤ 0.05 using Fisher’s least-significant difference test. * and ** represent significant differences at P ≤ 0.05 and P ≤ 0.01, respectively. NS, no significant difference at P = 0.05. N, nitrogen; P, phossphorus; K, potassium; Ca, calcium; Na, sodium; DW, dry weight; SS, spring season; AS, autumn season; EMs^-/EMs+, without/with effective microoragisms application; N_120/150/180,120/150/180 kg nitrogen ha^-