Bush pepper

INTRODUCTION Black pepper (Piper nigrum L) known as the “king of spices” and “Black gold” is a perennial spice crop grown mostly for export in India. It belongs to the family Piperaceae. Black pepper is a staple ingredient in cuisine all around the world because of its distinct flavor and pungency. Bush pepper is a modification of the traditional black pepper vine which is grown as a compact, bush-like plant. Space-constrained urban gardening and small-scale farming are well suited for this cultivation technique. Though it originated from traditional black pepper production, the idea of bush pepper has been modified to fit today’s agriculture, particularly in areas where land is limited. Bush peppers are easier to grow and handle for both home gardeners and farmers. This is achieved through proper growing techniques. Bush pepper plants are kept at a height of roughly 1-2 mts and do not require the implementation of standards thus, allows increased plant population density, and reduced maintenance efforts [1] 2018. Furthermore, bush pepper starts yielding from the first year onwards. Harvesting is not a tedious process in bush pepper and does not require any additional tools like ladders as needed for harvesting in vine pepper. The disadvantages of using plagiotropic cuttings are poor growth rate, high mortality rate resulting from drought or leaf shedding, and a period of two-month root initiation and establishment [2]. Furthermore, bush pepper cuttings are nutrient demanding and need appropriate media for the better growth [3]. Successful bush pepper production can be achieved by producing an abundance of healthy seedlings by adopting techniques that promote the development of strong root. The key is to use of appropriate rooting medium, which can assist root development and supply nutrients. This can be achieved by using organic manures like (Farm Yard Manure (FYM), Vermicompost etc.) with effective utilization of organic waste. Keeping this in view the study aims to find the optimal media composition for the growth of bush pepper cuttings. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Experimental design The experiment was carried out between 2023 and 2024 (15 Dec 2024 -15 June 2024) for a period of 180 days at the Horticultural Research Station, Yercaud located in the Shevaroy hills in the Eastern Ghats. It is situated at an altitude of 1,515 mts (4,970 ft) above sea level. Thirteen different treatment combinations followed two times the replication of each treatment. Different media combinations- like  T1 – FYM alone (Control), T2 – Soil + FYM (3:1), T3 –  Soil + Vermicompost (3:1), T4 -Soil + Vermicompost (1:1), T5 – Soil + Coir pith   + Vermicompost (2:1:1), T6  – Soil + Coir pith + Vermicompost (1:1:1), T7 – Cocopeat + Vermicompost (3:1), T8–  Cocopeat + Vermicompost (1:1), T9 – Soil + Rice husk + Cocopeat (2:1:1), T10 -Soil + Rice husk + Cocopeat (1:1:1), T11– Cocopeat + Sand + Vermicompost (2:1:1), T12 – Cocopeat+ Sand + Vermicompost (1:1:1), T13– Cocopeat + Rice husk + Vermicompost + Soil (1:1:1:1) were prepared with different proportions of media on volume basis and Trichoderma viride was added in each media @ 5 g. Then as per the treatments, the mixture was filled in polythene bags of size 10 cm width and 15 cm length. Planting material The cuttings were collected from Panniyur-1Variety from the mother block of approximately (12.87-16.92 cm) height of pencil size thickness (1.14-2.31 mm girth) and were planted in the polythene bags. Before planting, the basal portion of the cuttings (about 2.5-3 cm) was dipped in IBA@ 2000 ppm for (<5 sec.)  to enable rooting. Then, the treated cuttings were planted in polybags containing different combinations of rooting media. The polybag containing potting media was drenched with copper oxy-chloride @ 2% to avoid fungal infestation. The cuttings in polybags are watered sufficiently so that the media is tighter. The cutting samples are immediately placed in a mist chamber with an air humidity of 80% and a temperature of 26°C. Determination of physical and chemical properties of media The physical and chemical properties of different media compositions were analyzed using standard procedure. Physical characteristics of media like EC, pH and Water holding capacity were analyzed using the methods suggested by [4], [5], [6]. The chemical properties of media like available N, P, K and exchangeable amounts of Ca, Mg and Na were carried out using the methods suggested by [7], [8].For the exchangeable amount of Ca, Mg and Na [9]. Organic Carbon analysis was carried out using the procedure suggested by the [10]. The observation was recorded for various diverse parameters of the bush pepper under different media compositions during the study like sprouting characters (days to sprouting, length of the sprout and percentage of Sprouting), number of leaves per cutting, plant height (cm), number of leaves, shoot length (cm), plant girth (mm), leaf Area (cm2), root length (cm), percentage of rooted cuttings (%), benefit-cost ratio was also calculated. Statistical analysis: The results for each characterization data were obtained from the mean procedure of two replicas and statistical analysis was performed in Randomized block design by SPSS 29 Software and Multiple comparison Test using LSD were carried out to find out the best treatments. Mean values within same column, followed by similar letters are not significantly different at p<0,05 according to LSD multiple comparison method. Mean values within same column, followed by similar letters are not significantly different at p<0,05 according to according to LSD multiple comparison method. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MEDIA USED IN THE EXPERIMENT RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Bush pepper is propagated through plagiotropic shoot cuttings. The disadvantage of this method is the poor establishment of the cuttings and also low availability of source of planting material. During propagation, it has been observed that the optimal media with the appropriate physical and chemical properties for successful rooting of laterals and producing bush pepper has yet to be established. To overcome, this Various media combinations with moisture and nutrient availability must be used in appropriate proportions to improve the rooting and establishment percentage of bush pepper cuttings. The physical and chemical characteristics of … Read more