Abstract:
Hot pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops produced in Ethiopia. However, production and productivity of the crop is far below the world average, which is mostly associated with lack of improved varieties, soil fertility depletions and inappropriate agronomic practices. An experiment was therefore conducted to evaluate the effects of eco-green as organic fertilizer and mineral nitrogen on the growth and green pod yield of hot pepper during the growing season of 2019/2020. Treatments consisted of four levels of N (0, 59, 82 and 105 kg ha-1) and four levels of eco-green (0, 75, 125 and 175 liter ha-1), which were laid down in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in a 4x4 factorial arrangement with three replications. Growth and yield parameters of the hot pepper were collected and analyzed using SAS version 9.2. Results revealed that application of N and EG fertilizers very highly significantly (P<0.001) influenced plant height, numbers of different levels of branches, days to 50% flowering, days to 50% pod setting, days to first harvest, green pod number per plant, length, weight and width of green pod, marketable, unmarketable and total green pod yields. Combined application of 105 kg ha-1 N and 175liter ha-1 EG delayed the days to 50% flowering (70.33 days) and recorded the highest plant height (78.5cm), while plants without fertilizer application flowered early (42.33 days) and recorded the shortest plant height (26.56cm). Generally, the combination of high levels of nitrogen and Eco-green increased the growth parameters of hot pepper including plant height and number of branches. The highest marketable (17.98 t ha-1) and total green pod yield (18.19 tha-1) of hot pepper were recorded from the treatment combinations of 59 kg ha-1N and 125 litter ha-1eco-green. The same treatment combination had also recorded the highest net benefit (Eth Birr 318,516.91 ha-1) with acceptable marginal rate of return (1706%) which can be recommended for economical production of green hot pepper in the study area and areas with similar agro-ecology.