Growth Response of Hot Pepper Varieties to Different Mulch Types at Jimma, South Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract: Hot pepper is a national spice and vegetable of Ethiopia grown in both wet and dry seasons and fetches larger profit when cultivated during the dry season. The yield of the crop in the dry season is limited by soil moisture stress. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted in 2009/10 at Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine under irrigation with the objective of determining the effects of different t mulch types on growth of hot pepper varieties. The experiment consisted of three hot pepper varieties (Bako Local, Melka Awaze and Dube Medium) and three types of mulches (dry coffee husk, dry vetiver grass and dry banana leaves) laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Data were collected on growth of hot pepper varieties. The results indicated that the combined effects of mulching and varieties showed significant variation on growth of hot pepper. The interaction between Bako Local variety with dry coffee husk produced higher total leaf area (9089.94cm /plant), larger leaf area index (4.33), longer fruit length 2 (13.10cm) and higher fruit shape index value (6.24). Bako Local with dry vetiver grass produced the longer fruit length (13.89cm) and higher fruit shape index. Variety Melka Awaze mulched with dry coffee husk produced maximum number of leaf per plant, higher number of fruit per plant. Melka Awaze with dry vetiver grass also gave higher number of fruit per plant. From this study it can be concluded that dry coffee husk and dry vetiver grass mulches combined with Melka Awaze variety have potential to increase the growth hot pepper under Jimma condition