Effect of plant spacing on growth, flowering, fruiting and yield of Capsicum (Capsicum annuum L) hybrid buffalo under natural ventilated polyhouse

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to study the Effect of plant spacing on growth, flowering, fruiting and yield of Capsicum (Capsicum annuum L) hybrid buffalo under natural ventilated polyhouse during September, 2016 to February, 2017 at Hi-Tech Horticulture, Dr.R.P.C.A.U Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar. There were three levels of spacing 45 cm x 30 cm (4.4 plants/m2), 45 cm x 45 cm (2.94 plants/m2) and 45 cm x 60 cm (2.22 plants/m2) and three levels of numbers of shoots per plant viz. two shoots, three shoots and four shoots. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with three replications. Among the different spacing level, the spacing S1 (45 cm x 30 cm) recorded maximum plant height (137.46 cm), yield (82.13t/ha.) and spacing S1 (45 cm x 30 cm) showed the early flower initiation as well as 50 per cent flowering (52.24 days). Maximum number of leaves (122.29), leaf area (97.24 dm2), number of branches (9.39), number of flower per plant (10.74), number of days for fruit set (66.20), least number of days to first harvest (89.06 days), fruit weight (185.31g), number of fruit per plant (18.48), yield per plant (3.38 kg.) was recorded under S3(45 cm x 60 cm) and higher B:C ratio (5.60) was recorded under S2 rest of treatments.