Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Green Pod Yield of Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) cv MIPC-01

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of combined application of organic manures with recommended inorganic fertilizers (RIF) and to find out the best combination of applications on green pod yield of chilli cv. MIPC-01 (Mahailluppallama Kaludawali Selection). The following five treatment combinations viz. T1- No fertilizer (control plot), T2- 100% RIF, T3- 50% RIF + 15 t ha-1 cattle manure, T4- 50% RIF + 15 t ha-1 cattle manure + 250 kg ha-1 partially burnt paddy husk, T5- 50% RIF + 15 t ha-1 cattle manure + 500 kg ha-1 partially burnt paddy husk were laid out in a Randomised Completely Block Design and replicated four times. The measurements related to growth and yield parameters were taken using destructive random sampling method. The results revealed that among the tested fertilizer combinations, there were significant differences (p<0.05) in plant height, root length, number of flowers, average numbers of pod per plant and pod length compared to the control treatment. The application of 50% RIF, 15 t ha-1 cattle manure along with 500 kg ha-1 partially burnt paddy husk produced higher number of pods per plant (10.50 and 24.50) and average pod weight per plant (40.42 g cm and 90.16 g) over the control treatment at 120 and 150 DAT (days after transplanting) respectively. It is concluded that application of 50% RIF with 15 t ha-1 cattle manure and 500 kg ha-1 partially burnt paddy husk is the best combination to obtain higher green pod yield of chilli.