The Effect of Integrated Soil Fertility Management Practices on Bell Pepper Under Controlled Environmental Conditions

Abstract

Continuous soil cultivation in tropical countries has resulted in depletion of nutrients that are essential for plant growth and development. Beside, adverse use of inorganic fertilizers has had implicating effects on availability of organic carbon, nutrients imbalance and deficiency, this over time has reduced production in horticultural crops. A study was conducted on bell pepper in a greenhouse to determine its response to different soil fertility management practices recorded by changes in plant height, number of fruits and weight, and crop yield. The experiment was set up at Nandi County. The treatments were laid out in randomized complete block design with four treatments; farmer Practice (25 t/ha organic manure), organic manure (50 t/ha), combined inorganic fertilizer (125 kg/ha 23:23:0 planting and 62.5 kg/ha 17:17:17 topdress) and organic manure (25 t/ha), and inorganic fertilizer (23:23:0) 250 kg/ha planting and 125 kg/ha 17:17:17 topdress. The results indicate that the treatments under organic manure recorded higher growth seen in the number of mean branches for organic manure -11.83, combined inorganic fertilizer -10.50, Farmer Practice -8.67, inorganic fertilizer -6.83 and plant height means for farmer Practice -53.8cm, organic manure -66.2cm, combined inorganic fertilizer -58.0cm, and inorganic fertilizer -44.2 cm. Yield was highest for the combined interaction of inorganic fertilizer and organic manure as seen on average number of fruits per plant for farmer Practice -24 fruits, organic manure -26 fruits, combined inorganic fertilizer -29 fruits and inorganic fertilizer -17 fruits and weight of fruits for farmer Practice -8.261, organic manure -9.083, combined inorganic fertilizer -9.611, inorganic fertilizer -6.539 kg). The results indicate that there is need to combine inorganic fertilizer and well decomposed organic manure for maximum yield of bell pepper. This should be done under greenhouse and other technologies where climatic conditions are controlled.