EFFECTS OF SOIL AMENDMENTS ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF PEPPER (Capsicum frutescens L.) FRUITS

 ABSTRACT      

 Research was conducted at Federal College of Agriculture, Akure between March to August 2010  and 2011 to evaluate the effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on growth and yield of pepper fruits. Pepper fruit (Capsicum frutescens) Long Cayenne was procured at the seed section of department of Agronomy University of Ibadan and raised for six weeks in the green house before transplanting to the field at a spacing of 70 cm x 50 cm inter and intra row spacing respectively.  The treatment imposed were poultry manure at 5 ton/ha, organomineral fertilizers at 3.0 tons/ha, liquid fertilizer at 1,400 litres/ha and the control. The treatments were laid out in a randomised complete block design replicated four times. Growth and yield indices such as plant height stem girth, fruit yield, number of fruits, number of leaves and number of branches was investigated. Results showed that there were significant increase (P>0.05) in the growth and yield parameters. Organomineral fertilizer gave the highest response, followed by Boost extra, Poultry manure and Control had the least in terms of improved growth and yield of Capsicum frutescens. For the Organomineral the number of leaves, plant height, stem girth and fruit yield ranged from 139 - 313, 22.28 – 56.70 cm, 2.25 –4.5cm2, 6.0-1.8, and 3.08 t ha-1 respectively while for the control 87 – 192, 20.35 – 49.80cm, 1.63 – 4.30cm2 , 3..0 – 14.0 and 1.01 t ha-1. The percentage increased in yield and growth parameters of Organomineral fertilizer compared to Control treatment are as follows: 38.7%, 12.2%, 14.0%, 22.2% and 16.9% respectively. Hence, the use of Organomineral Fertilizer to improve yield of pepper considerably cannot be over emphasized.

Keyword: Soil Amendment, Growth, Yield, pepper fruits, organic and Inorganic fertilizers