Effects of blended (NPSB) and urea fertilizer on growth and green pod yield of hot pepper (Capsicum annum L.) under irrigation in Raya-Kobo district, North Wollo, Ethiopia

Abstract

Hot pepper is one of the most important vegetables and spice crops cultivated in many parts of the world including Ethiopia. The crop is known for its nutritional value and as spice. It’s productivity is low due to low availability of soil nutrients. Much research was conducted to investigate the response of pepper to inorganic fertilizers such as DAP and Urea. However, information about the effect of Blended fertilizers such as NPSB and its combination with Urea is scanty. This research was therefore conducted to investigate the response of hot pepper to blended NPSB and urea fertilizer rates at Kobo, North Wollo. Four rates of NPSB (0, 100, 200, and 300 kg ha−1) and four rates of urea (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg ha−1) in factorial combination were laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The results revealed that the interaction effect of NPSB and urea was significant on many of the parameters considered. Treatments that received fertilizer combination of 300 kg NPSB ha−1 and 150 kg urea ha−1 gave the tallest plants (79.76 cm) and maximum number of pods per plant (45.50), while Treatments that received fertilizer combination of 200 kg NPSB ha−1 and 150 kg urea ha−1 gave the highest total pod fruit yield (30.08t ha−1) and maximum marketable yield (29.48 t ha−1) in the study area. Application of combined 200 kg ha−1 NPSB and 150 urea kg ha−1is recommended for production of hot pepper at Kobo and similar agroecologies as the highest net benefit (3548.86 US$) with relatively high marginal rate of return (2258.91%) were recorded. However, as the present study was done only in one location for one season, it would be worthwhile to repeat it in order to arrive at a sound conclusion.