GROWTH, CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT AND FRUIT YIELD OF CAYENNE PEPPER AS AFFECTED BY SEEDLING AGE AND WEED INTERFERENCE PERIOD.

Field trials were conducted at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria (700, 20' N, 300, 23' E) in the early and late wet seasons of 2012, to evaluate response of growth, chlorophyll content and fruit yield of cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) to seedling age and weed interference period. Split-plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design with three replicates was adopted in the trials. The main plot treatments were age of pepper seedlings at transplant, (four and six weeks after sowing (WAS)) while the subplot treatments consisted of ten periods of weed interference. Data were collected on stem girth, chlorophyll content, pepper fruit count, fruit yield and weed dry matter production. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and treatment means were separated using least significant difference at p=0.05. The results showed that six-week old pepper seedling had higher chlorophyll content and pepper fruit yield. Chlorophyll content and fruit yield of pepper increased with weed free period and decreased with weed infestation period. Uncontrolled weed infestation for whole season caused 98.6% and 91.6% reduction in pepper fruit yield in the early wet and late wet season respectively. In this study, six-week old pepper seedling kept weed free for at least 12 weeks after transplanting (WAT) resulted in significantly higher pepper fruit yield than four-week old pepper seedling irrespective of period of weed interference. Hence, six-week old pepper seedling should be planted and kept weed-free for the first 12 WAT for maximum fruit at harvest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]