On-Station and On-Farm Evaluation of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) in Sylhet

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted with sweet pepper during the winter season of 2015-2016. One experiment was on-station evaluation of sweet pepper variety ‘California Wonder’ under two different protective structures (Net and Net + polythene), two different miticides application (Intrepid and Vertimec) and Open field (Control) at the Horticulture Research Field of Sylhet Agricultural University, Bangladesh. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Another experiment was on-farm evaluation of sweet pepper variety ‘BARI Mistimoric-1’ under Net + polythene protective structure in the farmer’s field of Moulvibazar and Sunamganj district. In case of on-station study, Net and Net + polythene protection had significant influence on growth and yield of sweet pepper. The highest and almost similar performance were recorded from Net and Net + polythene in terms of plant height at first harvest (72.67 and 72.83 cm), harvest duration (34.33 and 34.33 days), individual fruit weight (76.45 and 75.95 g), fruit length (8.40 and 8.51 cm) and fruit diameter (7.33 and 7.07 cm). Next to Net and Net + polythene protective structures, individual fruit weight (46.80 g) of Intrepid treated plants was statistically higher than Vertimec and Open field treated plants. The number of fruits per plant (11.57), fruit yield per plant (893.90 g) and fruit yield per decimal (178.78 kg) were significantly higher for Net + polythene protected structure followed by Net protected structure. Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of Net (5.4) and Net + polythene (5.6) protected structures were measured more than half of the Open field condition (2.5) indicating bright scope of sweet pepper cultivation under protective structures in the Sylhet region. Although BCR of Intrepid treated plants (4.0) was little less than the protective structures, but considering the economic condition of the farmer sweet pepper cultivation in the open field with Intrepid as a miticide can be suggested. In case of on-farm study, the fruit yield per decimal of Moulvibazar district (163.13 kg) was little higher than the Sunamganj district (155.93 kg), therefore, BCR of Moulvibazar district (4.1) was obtained little higher than the Sunamganj district (3.9). The on-farm adaptive trial also revealed that sweet pepper cultivation can be spread to the farmer’s field of the Sylhet region.