Genotypic differences in growth, yield and quality attributes of capsicum (Capsicum annuum) under black polyethylene mulch

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during rainy (kharif) seasons of 2006–08 to study the response of different genotypes of capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.) grown under mulch and without mulch for growth, yield and quality attributes at high hills of Garhwal region. Varietal differences were prominent at both situations. Plant growth and fruit yield of genotypes significantly improved with mulching. Plant height varied from 32.27 cm (‘Miety’) to 38.15 cm (‘Orobelle’) under mulch and 26.20 cm (‘Miety’) to 33.15 cm (‘Bomby’) under non- mulch conditions. Mulch induced earliness by advancing the crop by 26 days (‘California Wonder’, ‘Miety’, ‘Orobelle’ and ‘Green Beauty’) to 38 days (‘Tanvi’). Harvest duration was extended by 29 days (‘California Wonder’ and ‘Green Beauty’) to 50 days (‘McKong’) under mulch. Differences in the incidence of collar rot (Phytophthora capsici Leonian) were observed among the genotypes as well as between the treatments. It ranged from 1.15 (‘Orobelle’) to 5.00% (‘Bomby’) and 4.75 (‘Green Beauty’) to 14.50% (‘Bomby’) under mulch and without mulch treatments, respectively. Increase in yield over unmulched varied from 3.06 (‘Miety’) to 19.07% (‘Green Beauty’).