Abstract
This study aimed to determine the effects of plant spacing on some morphological traits and yields of 5 hot pepper lines. The trial was laid out in a 5 × 3 factorial in randomized complete block design with 4 replications. Five pepper lines (ICPN16#3, ICPN16#4, ICPN16#6, ICPN16#7, and ICPN16#9) and 3 plant spacing (70 cm × 30 cm, 70 cm × 40 cm and 70 cm × 50 cm) were used. The results revealed that the closer plant spacing of 70 cm × 30 cm produced tall plants with ICPN16#4 line being the tallest. In addition, line ICPN16#4 produced narrow canopy with more branches, whilst ICPN16#9 (a short line) produced more branches with medium spread canopy. Plant spacing of 70 cm × 50 cm resulted in more spread canopy and number of branches. Closer spacing gave higher fruit yield compared to wider spacing. However, wider spacing gave the largest fruit size. Key words: Lines, spacing, canopy, plant height, branch, interaction.
Highlights
Hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) is an important vegetable used in preparing dishes in almost every Ghanaian household
Spacing results did not show any significant differences among the lines with respect to plant height at 4 weeks after transplanting (WAT)
70 cm × 40 cm spacing gave the tallest plants when interacted with ICPN16#4 and ICPN16#3 lines, and produced the shortest plants when interacted with ICPN16#9 line
Summary
Hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) is an important vegetable used in preparing dishes in almost every Ghanaian household. Hot pepper is among the 4 widely cultivated vegetables in Ghana (Schippers, 2000) where it is widely grown primarily for its fruits and seeds (Norman, 1992). It is widely produced in Ghana for local consumption but has been increasingly exported to the European market. Ghana is the 5th largest exporter of chili peppers to the European Union and exports increased about 60% from 2005 to 2007 (MiDA, 2010) This trend of export has resulted in the cultivation of the crop as a main commercial / income activity for some households. Some export companies have out growers who are contracted to produce the crop to meet international standards
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