Influence of mulching materials on pepper (Capsicum annuum L. ssp. macrocarpum var. longum) characteristics

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in order to determine the influence of different mulching materials on some parameters of pepper kapiya type grown in an open field. This type of pepper is widely grown in North Macedonia in open field. It is specifically used for processing with more than half of raw materials volume. The experiment was carried out in the village of Kutretino near Demir Hisar, during the season of 2018. The treatments were as follows: no mulch (bare soil) – as control treatment, straw mulch, black film mulch, white on black (double face) film mulch and red film mulch. A single experimental plot was 15 m2 with density of 100 plants per plot organized in complete randomized block design in four replications. During the vegetation period the plant height (cm), number of marketable fruits per plant, fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm), fruit mass (g) and total yield (t ha-1) were measured. According to the results the highest plants (58.8 cm), the highest number of marketable fruits per plant (8.45), the longest and widest fruits (16.00 and 8.25 cm, respectively), the highest fruit mass (113.79 g) and the highest yield (63.15 t ha-1) were obtained from plants grown with black foil as mulching material. Taking into consideration the results, it can be concluded that mulching with black film gave the best results for the most of the examined parameters and can be widely used for pepper kapiya type production in open fields.