Yield and Yield Components of Pepper (Capsicum Annuum L.) as Influenced by Stage and Intensity of Reproductive Organs Pruning at Humbo, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted on farmer’s field from 2009 to 2010 at Humbo, Southern Ethiopia, to assess the effects of stage and intensity of reproductive organs pruning on yield and yield component of pepper. Four levels of pruning (control, one-reproductive organ, two-reproductive organs and three-reproductive organs) and three stages of pruning (bud, anthesis and fruit set), were arranged in factorial combination in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Pepper cultivar called ‘Marekofana’ was used. The interaction effect of three- reproductive organs pruned treatment with fruit set stage gave the highest for total leaf area of pepper and the least was obtained from the control. Three- reproductive organs pruning improved fresh and dry weight of individual fruits per plant and seed dry weight per fruit. The highest total dry weight of fruit per plant was from the control plants and the least being at three- reproductive organs pruning. The highest vegetative dry weight of the plant and total dry weight of the plant were obtained three- reproductive organs were pruned at anthesis stage and the lowest were obtained from the control respectively. The highest and the lowest seed number per fruit recorded two- reproductive organs were pruned at bud stage and from the control treatment, respectively. The highest early yield per plant was obtained from the control and significant reduction was observed with reproductive organs pruning. The highest and the lowest marketable fruit yield per plant were obtained from one- reproductive organ and the three- reproductive organs pruned treatment, respectively. On the contrary, the highest and the lowest unmarketable fruit yield per plant were obtained from the three- reproductive organs and one- reproductive organ pruned treatment, respectively. The highest marketable and unmarketable fruit number per plant were obtained from the control while the lowest marketable and unmarketable fruit number per plant were obtained from the three- reproductive organs pruned treatment. The highest total fruit yield per plant and total fruit yield per hectare  were obtained from one- reproductive organ pruned treatment and the lowest total fruit yield per plant  and per hectare were obtained from the three- reproductive organs pruned treatment.

Keywords: Stage, intensity, reproductive organ, pruning, pepper