Planting density and yield of sweet pepper grown in an organic system

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the yield and fruit quality of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum) genotypes grown at various planting densities, in an organic production system under protected cultivation. The experiment was carried out in duplicate, to compare the yield and fruit quality of the 'TE 300', 'Mallorca', and 'Timor' sweet pepper genotypes, at the densities of 2, 4, 6, and 8 plants m^-2. A randomized complete block design was used, with three replicates, in split plots. Mean fruit size and mass, yield per plant, and total yield were measured. Dunnett’s test was used to compare means between the standard density of 2 plants m^-2 and the other densities. Scott-Knott’s test was used to compare the densities within each genotype. The increase of planting density in the organic production system provided a yield similar to that of the conventional system. A greater density increases yield and reduces the production cycle, without impairing the fruit size or quality of the 'TE 300' and 'Timor' genotypes. The densities of 8 plants m^-2 for 'TE 300' and 'Timor', and of 6 plants m^-2 for 'Mallorca' show the highest total yield per hectare.