Abstract

Amare Tesfaw, Nigussie Dechassa and Kebede W/T Sadik

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of N and P and evaluate the performance of hot pepper varieties. Treatments comprised three rates of N (0, 46 and 92 kg N ha-1 and three rates of P2O5 (0, 69 and 138 kg P2O5 ha-1 ) , and three hot pepper varieties (Marako fana, Melka zala and a local variety). The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design in a 3 x 3 x 3 factorial arrangement with three replications. The results indicated that the interaction effect of N, P2O5 and variety was significant on many of the parameters considered. Treatments that received fertilizer combination of 92 kg N ha-1 and 138 kg P2O5 ha-1 gave maximum fresh fruit yield (10.92 t ha-1 )(Mareko fana), highest total dry fruit yield (1.97 t ha1 ) and the maximum marketable yield (1.91 t ha-1 ) in the same variety. Using N and P2O5 fertilizers at the rates of 92 kg N and 138 kg P2O5 ha-1 thus can feasibly be used for obtaining fresh as well as dry pods.