Influence of Mulching Materials on the Growth and Yield Components of Green Pepper at Busia County in Kenya
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Date
2016
Authors
Edgar, Ocharo N.
Gweyi-Onyango, Joseph P.
Korir, Nicholas K.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
SCIENCEDOMAIN International
Abstract
Aims: Green pepper (Capsicum annuum) also named the bell pepper or sweet pepper is one of
the most important and remunerative vegetable crops in the world. Due to the increased pressure
on land, climate change and increased demand for the crop, there is need for better agronomical
practices that will ensure enough food production.
Place and Duration of Study: In Kenya, little attention has been given to the use of organic and
inorganic mulch materials to increase productivity of horticultural crops and therefore this study was
conducted in Alupe, Busia-Kenya, during the long and short rains season of 2015 to assess the
efficacy of black plastic, transparent plastic and straw mulch on growth and yield of green pepper.
Methodology: The treatments were black polythene mulch, transparent polythene mulch, straw
mulch and bare soil as the control.
Results: The straw mulch elicited significantly vigorous growth of seedlings compared to the other
treatments but had the lowest number of leaves unlike transparent mulch which had the most with
58. The widest stem circumference was observed on mulched plots as well as the plant height
where the control recorded the lowest height. The black polythene mulch gave significantly (P=.05)
heavier fruits of 924.5 g/plant during the long rain and 681.1 g/plant in the short rain season.
Unmulched plots of either variety had the lowest mass recorded for fruit in both seasons. The
transparent mulch showed significantly (P=.05) more seeds per fruit (196), longest fruit length (8.5
cm) and greatest fruit diameter (9.2 cm). Based on the experimental results the black polythene
mulches had greatest effects on the growth, and yield of sweet pepper and showed superior
performance among the plastic mulches in the study area and therefore is recommended.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Capsicum annuum, Remunerative vegetable, Mulches, Greatest effect
Citation
Asian Research Journal of Agriculture 2(2): 1-10, 2016; Article no.ARJA.29909