Adaptation Trial of Small-Pod Chilli Pepper (Capsicum frutescence L.) Varieties in the Midland Areas of Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Research Article

Ann Agric Crop Sci. 2024; 9(2): 1149.

Adaptation Trial of Small-Pod Chilli Pepper (Capsicum frutescence L.) Varieties in the Midland Areas of Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Arega Amdie*; Solomon Teshoma; Miressa Mitiku

Oromia Agricultural Research Institute (IQQO), Bore Agricultural Research Center (BOARC), Ethiopia

*Corresponding author: Amdie A Oromia Agricultural Research Institute (IQQO), Bore Agricultural Research Center (BOARC), Ethiopia. Email: aregahorti2@gmail.com

Received: January 12, 2024 Accepted: February 26, 2024 Published: March 04, 2024

Abstract

Chilli pepper (Capsicum species) is one of the most important spices and cash crops produced in Ethiopia. However, information related to the potential of the midland areas of the Guji zone for Chilli pepper production is limited. This experiment was conducted in Kiltu Sorsa, Gobicha, and Derartu at three farmers’ fields to evaluate the growth and yield performance of Chilli pepper varieties and to select and recommend high-yielding Chilli pepper varieties. Five improved Chilli pepper varieties (Kume, Melka dera, Melka oli, Dinsire, and Dame) and one local check were evaluated. The treatments were arranged in a Randomized Completed Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The result of statically analysis indicated significant differences (P<0.05) among the Chilli pepper varieties for days to 90% maturity, pod length, pod diameter, unmarketable red dry pod yield, and marketable red dry and green pod yield. The highest marketable dry red and dry pod yields were recorded from Melka Oli (23.16 qt/ha), followed by Melka Dera (19.32 qt/ha), respectively. But the lowest marketable dry red pod yield (12.72 qt/ha) was obtained from a local check Chilli pepper variety. Therefore, two improved Chilli pepper varieties, i.e., Melka Oli and Melka Dera, are selected and recommended for midland areas of the Guji zone.

Keywords: Adaptation; Chilli pepper; Improved variety; Spice

Introduction

Pepper is the world’s most important vegetable after tomato and used as fresh, dried or processed products, as vegetables and as spices or condiments [1]. It’s a new world crop that belongs to the Solanaceae family, and the genus Capsicum. It is closely related to tomato, eggplant, potato and tobacco. The genus Capsicum is the second most important vegetable crop of the family after tomato in the world [4]. Chilli pepper spread rapidly across Europe into India, China, and Japan. Since its discovery by Columbus, the crop has been incorporated into most of the world's cuisines [8]. The crop is a national spice of Ethiopia and believed to be introduced to Ethiopia probably by the Portuguese in the seventh century [15].

Pepper is the leading vegetable and spice crop grown in Ethiopia [19]. The central (eastern and southern Showa), western, north western (Wollega and Gojjam) and the southern part of the country are the potential pepper producing areas. Chilli pepper is an important agricultural crop, not only because of its economic importance, but also due to the nutritional and medicinal value of its fruit. The fruit is an excellent source of natural colors and antioxidant compounds whose intake is an important health protecting factor by prevention of widespread human diseases [16]. Pepper fruit is consumed as a fresh vegetable or dehydrated for use as a spice after changing to powder. The antioxidant vitamin A, C and E are present in high concentrations [20].

Peppers are a warm season crops that do best with a long, frost-free season to produce good quality and high yields [6]. It has been cultivated in many parts of the country because the powdered Chilli pepper is a major part of spice used to prepare the traditional sauce called ‘wot’. Pepper is an important traditional crop mainly valued for its pungency and color. The crop is also one of the important spices that serve as the source of income particularly for smallholder producers in many parts of rural Ethiopia [5].

The decline of Chilli pepper production is also attributed to poor varieties, poor cultural practices, the prevalence of fungal and bacterial as well as viral diseases [11]. Even though Chilli pepper is a high value commodity, which has the potential for improving the income and the livelihood of thousands of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia and diversifying and increasing Ethiopia’s agricultural export exchange earnings, the crop is confronted with various production and marketing related problems. In spite of its importance, the pepper production system for green and dry pods has remained low input and low output, with a national average yield of 49.51 qt/ha for green pepper and 15.81 qt/ha for red pepper, respectively [7]. This yield loss might be due lack of improve variety, sowing methods, use of appropriate plant spacing and environmental conditions [28]. The decline of Chilli pepper production is also attributed to a lack of improved varieties, poor cultural practices, the prevalence of fungal (blights) and bacterial wilt, as well as viral diseases [11].

There has also been no research on the evaluation of small-pod Chilli peppers, which enables the growers to select the best-performing varieties in the study area. Evaluation of selected varieties are therefore one of the considerations to ease the existing problems of obtaining the desired varieties, for which the output of this study was likely to assist and sensitize Chilli pepper growers and processors. Furthermore, the increasing demand for small pod Chilli peppers to feed the growing human population and supply the ever-expanding pepper industries at the national and international level has created a need for the expansion of pepper cultivation in areas where it has not ever been extensively grown [5]. Superior genetic material is obtained through plant breeding activities [21]. So, better adaptable and well-performing varieties with improved cultural practices could be a possibility to boost the quality and marketable production of the crop, so that the farmers would benefit from cultivating those adaptable and improved varieties in the study area. Therefore, this research was conducted with the following objective:

• To evaluate, select and recommend the best performing, high yielding, and stable small-pod Chilli pepper variety (ies) for the study area.

Materials and Methods

Description of the Experimental Site

The experiment was conducted in the midland (Adola district) areas of Guji Zone at one location during 2021 and 2022 cropping season. Adola district is located at about 470 to the south from Addis Ababa. Adola district is characterized by three agro-climatic zones, namely Dega (high land), Weina-dega (mid land) and Kola (low land) with different coverage. The mean annual rain falls and temperature of the district is about 900mm and 12-34 0c respectively. Based on this condition two-time cropping season was commonly practiced i.e. Arfasa (main cropping season) which start from March to April especially for maize, haricot bean, sweet potato and Irish potato. The second cropping season is called Gena (short cropping season) which was practiced as double cropping using small size cereal crops like tef, potato, Pepper, and barley after harvesting the main cropping season crops. This study was also conducted during short cropping season in midland areas of Guji zone.

Treatments and Experimental design

About 5 newly released improved small pod Chilli Pepper varieties (Kume, Dame, Dinsire, Melka Oli and Melka Dera) were brought from Bako and Melekasa Agricultural Research Center and evaluate along local check. The trial was carried out in Randomized Block Design (RCBD) having three replications in a gross plot size of 2.1m×2.8m (5.88 m2) with a spacing of 1.40 m between blocks and 60 cm between plots. After 55 days of sowing or 3-4 true leaf stages uniform grown, healthy and vigorous seedlings was transplanted to the experimental field and planted at a spacing of 40 cm between rows and 20 cm between plants. Urea at 100 kg ha-1and NPS at 200 kg ha-1was applied to each treatment where NPS was applied during planting while 50% of urea during planting and the remained 50% urea was applied after one and half month. All appropriate agronomic practices such as weeding, watering and hoeing were conducted uniformly both at the nursery and experimental field.

Land Preparation and Raising Seedlings in the Nursery

The field for nursery bed was ploughed and harrowed to bring it to a fine tilth and a seed bed with a size of 3 m in length and 1 m in width was prepared. Seeds are drilled by hand in to the Nursery beds of 1 m width and 3 m length at the inter-row spacing of 15 cm. In the nursery 10 kg NPS ha-1 in the form of NPS (19% N, 38% P2O5and 7% S) were applied at sowing. After sowing, the beds were covered with dry grass mulch until emergence and watered using a watering can. A week before transplanting, water supply to the nursery seed bed was reduced in order to harden the seedlings to reduce transplanting shock. Before transplanting, the seedlings were watered to enhance easy uprooting and to prevent root damage.

Transplanting Seedlings

Uniform, healthy and vigorous seedlings (standard seedlings) having a height of 20-25 cm [9] was transplanted (after about 6 to 7 weeks in the nursery) in to the experimental field on beds at the specified spacing in the designated plots. The Seedlings were planted at the spaced of 30 cm between plants and 70 cm between rows. 200 kg/ha NPS as a side dressing during the transplanting operation and 100 kg/ha for UREA, half of it during the transplanting and half of it 15 days after transplanting was applied [9]. There were five rows per plot and 7 plants per row with a total of 35 plants per plot.

Data Collected

The data were collected on plots of the middle rows, leaving aside plants in the border rows as well as those at both ends of each row. The parameters were measured are: Days to 50% flowering, Days to pod development, Days to pod maturity, Plant height (cm), Pod length (cm), Number of branches per plant, Pod diameter (cm), Number of pod per plant, Marketable yield (qt/ha), Unmarketable (qt/ha) were collected and analyzed.

Data Analysis

Field data were analyzed by using SAS software for the data following the standard procedures outlined by Gomez and Gomez (1984). Comparisons among the treatment means were done using Fisher’s protected Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at 5% level of significant.

Results and Discussion

The overall locations, analysis of variance showed that statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were observed among the interaction of varieties and locations for days to 50% pod development, days to 90% physiological maturity, pod length, number of pod per plant, marketable green pod yield, marketable red dry pod yield and unmarketable yield. However, non-significant difference at (P>0.05) was observed among their interaction of locations to varieties for days to 50% flowering, 50% days of pod development, plant height, number of branch per plant and pod diameter (Table 2). Moreover, over all locations, analysis of variance showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were observed among the interaction of varieties, locations and years for days to 90% maturity, pod length, number of pod per plant marketable green pod yield, and marketable red dry pod yield. However, non-significant difference at (P>0.05) was observed among their interaction of locations, varieties, years for days to 50% flowering, plant height, pod diameter and unmarketable pod yield (Table 2).