What deficiency is this (if any)?

[lespaulde]

I've been keeping a glog on my progress with the autopot system, but am noticing a particular issue with a few of my plants that are producing fruit. I'm having some newly formed pods turn yellow and dropping, and several leafs at the bottom of the plant as well. I've attached some pictures of what I mean, and would love to hear what you guys think may be going on, or if I'm just being paranoid.

Plants are in 40/40/20 soil:coco:clay pebbles, and being fed with tap water (quite hard unfortunately) and Hesi Coco at ~half strength. Having searched around, this seems reminiscent of a sulphur deficiency (https://www.worldofchillies.com/growing_chillies/growing-tips/chilli-plant-nutrient-guide/chilliplantnutrientguide.html), and I'm just wondering whether my hard tap water, combined with the warm temperatures has led to some kind of nutrient lockout?

It's my bell pepper and Aji Benito plants which are showing these symptoms, whereas the Numex orange spice which also has pods seems fine. The more mature pods on the plant seem fine, it's only the newly formed ones... I've now obtained some deionized water and was going to switch the plants onto that to see whether it helps, but any advise is really much appreciated!

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[Chilidude]

Some of the older leaves can go yellow and fall even if there nothing wrong with the plant, it is the new leaves that are the most important and how healthy they look.

 

[lespaulde]

Thanks! And indeed if it was only the old growth here and there, I wouldn't have been concerned. But given that its also some of the young leafs at the bottom, and more importantly the new pods, I got a bit worried. New growth at the top is looking good though

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[Chilidude]

There can be a plenty of small pod drop/termination even if nothing is wrong with the plant, like overwatering, temperature swings or lack of proper pollination of the flower.

 

[lespaulde]

There can be a plenty of small pod drop/termination even if nothing is wrong with the plant, like overwatering, temperature swings or lack of proper pollination of the flower.

Ok thanks, if it's a perfectly normal thing to happen, I should make sure I don't overnurture the plants as I guess that's one of the most common ailments....

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[solid7]

Your top picture shows some splotchiness at a node.  Are more of the nodes like this?
 
Also, what do you define as "soil"?  And are the clay pebbles/hydroton mixed in with the substrate, or just lying on top of it?

 

[solid7]

Also, what form did you purchase the coco in?  Did you rinse and buffer it?  Why are you using your coco nutrient at half strength at this stage of your plant's development?

 

[Chilidude]

Also, what form did you purchase the coco in?  Did you rinse and buffer it?  Why are you using your coco nutrient at half strength at this stage of your plant's development?

 
He said that the growing medium is half soil and half coco coir, so perhaps going full blast with the dosage might not be the best idea.
 

 

[solid7]

 
He said that the growing medium is half soil and half coco coir, so perhaps going full blast with the dosage might not be the best idea.
 

 
If you're using coco, you need to use full strength doses, once the plant is in full growth - and certainly by the time is starts setting fruit.  Coco needs calcium to unlock Potassium, and trace elements, which it will otherwise hold.  Also, the calcium acts as a buffer.  So if this is a sulfur issue - which I believe that it is - it may be traced to a pH issue.
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Coco MUST have the calcium.  Not for the plant, but for the coco, itself.  It's a house of cards if you don't get that part right.
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The Hesi is certainly mild enough to use without worry, at the guaranteed analysis that is listed.

 

[Chilidude]

The manufacturer did state that the fertilizers are quite forgiving even for the beginner grower, so try the full 50ml to 10 litres of water and the ph correction for the tapwater on top of that might fix the issues if you cant collect rainwater and use it instead.

 

[solid7]

The manufacturer did state that the fertilizers are quite forgiving even for the beginner grower, so try the full 50ml to 10 litres of water and the ph correction for the tapwater on top of that might fix the issues if you cant collect rainwater and use it instead.

 
In fact...  I'd recommend going STRAIGHT to the rainwater.  Tap water can be, and is, a known issue for pH swings.
 
If you must use tapwater, You may want to keep a large reservoir, and cycle it for a few days before you add the nutes, to see if your pH is floating.  I really can't stress that enough.  If you are going to do a hydro or hydro-ish grow, you gotta get to know your water. 

 

[Chilidude]

Yes 100% to that rainwater stuff, you must collect it asap and you plants will thank you for it.