ABSTRACT
Field experiment was carried out from January to June, 2011 at the university of Agriculture Abeokuta (70 151 30 251E) to determine the effect of time of introducing jute mallow on the growth and yield of hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.). The experiment was laid out in Randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a split plot arrangement with three replicates. The main plot was cropping system (sole crop pepper and pepper intercropped with Corchorus) and the subplot was the time of introducing Corchorus with pepper (same time with pepper, two weeks after planting pepper and four weeks after planting pepper). Data were collected on plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, number of branches, number of flower and number of fruit. The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using statistical analysis system (SAS).
The results showed that plant height, leaf area, number of branches, number of leaves, and yield of sole pepper were not significantly (p≤0.05) different from pepper intercropped with Corchorus. Number of leaves and leaf area of Corchorus showed that there was interaction between cropping system and the time of introducing Corchorus. The effect of cropping system was significant on yield of pepper irrespective of the cropping system, vegetative and yield performance of Corchorus. Land equivalent ratio of pepper intercrop at the time of introducing Corchorus same time gave the best yield advantage over 2 weeks after introducing Corchorus and 4 weeks after introducing
Corchorus respectively. It can be concluded that growth and yield performance of pepper can be enhanced in mixture with Corchorus introduced at the same time.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Table of contents
List of tables
Abstract
Chapter One
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Justification
1.2 Objectives
Chapter Two
2.0 Literature Review
2.1 Origin and Distribution
2.2 Botany of pepper
2.3 Botany of Jute mallow
2.4 Ecological Requirement of Pepper
2.5 Ecological Requirement of Jute mallow
2.6 Cultural Requirement of Pepper
2.7 Cultural Requirement of Jute mallow
2.8 Pests and Diseases of pepper
2.9 Pests and Diseases of Jute mallow
2.10 Harvesting and Post harvest handling of jute mallow
2.11 Uses of Pepper
2.12 Uses of Jute mallow
2.13 Land Equivalent Ratio
2.14 Effect of the time of planting on intercropping
Chapter Three
3.0 Materials and Method
3.1 Experimental Site
3.2 Description of Test Crop
3.3 Experimental Design
3.4 Land Preparation
3.5 Planting
3.6 Data Collection
3.7 Statistical Analysis
Chapter Four
4.0 Results and Discussion
4.1 Pre-cropping physical and-chemical properties of soil
4.2 Plant Height and Number of Leaves
4.3 Leaf Area per plant
4.4 Number of Branches, Dry Weight and Fruit Yield of Pepper
4.5 Vegetative Growth and Shoot Yield of Corchorus
4.6 Land Equivalent Ratio
Chapter Five
5.0 Conclusion and Recommendation
References