Abstract

Author:
Sushil Awasthi, Kabita Bhat, Sukriti satyal, Bhuwan Joshi, Laxmi Kanta Paudel

Doi: 10.26480/sfna.02.2024.121.127

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

A field study was conducted from February 2023 to July 2023 in Chaurjahari, Rukum West, Nepal to assess the impact of different nitrogen levels on the growth, yield, and fruit quality of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum), specifically the California Wonder variety. The experiment followed a Randomized Complete Block Design with one factor, consisting of five treatments and four replications. Results showed that the application of 200 kg N/ha led to the highest values in various parameters including plant height (48.30 cm), fruit yield (11.65 t/ha), number of fruits per plant (8.137), average fruit weight (83.96 g), number of leaves (43.30), fruit circumference (29.905 cm), fruit length (13.160 cm), and number of primary and secondary branches (5.70, 21.70). Conversely, the control group with 0 kg N/ha demonstrated the lowest values across these parameters, with a yield of 4.515 t/ha, approximately one-third of the yield achieved with 200 kg N/ha. Intermediate nitrogen levels resulted in yields between the highest and lowest values. Although reproductive parameters showed no significant variation with nitrogen levels, physiological weight loss was lowest in the control group (9.822%) and highest with 200 kg N/ha (13.492%). These findings indicate that among the tested treatments, the application of 200 kg N/ha resulted in superior yield, highlighting the necessity of nitrogen supplementation for optimal commercial production of Capsicum in Rukum West.