Effect of shoot pruning and chicken manure on fruit set and yield of cayenne pepper grown on a sandy dryland soil

Abstract

Abstract Improving the soil properties of a sandy dryland and carbohydrate allocation in crops grown on it is vital for crop production. This study explores the potential benefits of applying chicken manure and shoots pruning on fruit sets and the yield of cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) grown on sandy dryland soil. An experiment testing a hybrid variety of cayenne pepper (Dewata 43) was conducted in Gumantar village, North Lombok, Indonesia (8.253654 S, 116.285695 E). Chicken manure treatment consisted of three levels; no chicken manure, chicken manure, and Trichoderma-enriched chicken manure at 3.5 ton ha−1. Pruning consisted of two levels; unpruned and pruned at three weeks after planting. The treatments were arranged factorially in a randomized block design with three replications. The study revealed that the soil was low in organic matter and had low nutrient content. Pruning did not show a significant effect, but chicken manure affected the fruit set and yield of cayenne pepper. Trichoderma-enriched chicken manure produced the highest fruit set (93%) and fruit weight per plant (286 g). The highest yield up to the fifth harvest was much lower than the variety’s yield potential, indicating room for improvement in cayenne pepper production in sandy dryland soils.