PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCES OF SOME PEPPER (Capsicum spp.) VARIETIES IN AN ULTISOL

A field trial was conducted at University of Uyo Teaching and Research Farm, Town Campus Annex, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in the late cropping season of 2014 to evaluate the growth and yield performances of sone pepper (Capsicum spp. varieties in an ultisol. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Treatments were five pepper varieties (Tabasco, Trinidad. Scoich Bonnet, Aleppo and Cubanelles), Results indicated significant (P<0.05) differences in growth and yield among the pepper varieties. Scotch Bonnet variety produced the highest number of leaves per plant (27.44, 58.53, 111.98 and 140.24 at 5, 7, 9 and 11 weeks after transplanting - WAT, respectively) while the feast was from Trinidad variety (12.97, 35.45, 56.63 and 89.92 at 5, 7, 9 and 11 WAT, respectively). Aleppo variety had significantly (P<0.05) taller plants by the 13th WAT (83.31cm) than other varieties. Scotch Bonnet had the widest leaf area at 9 WAT (40,71cm2) while Trinidad had the widest at 7 and 11 WAT with 49.94cm2 and 42.27 cm2. respectively. The number of fruits per plant and fresh fruit yield per hectare varied significantly (P<0.03) among the varieties. The highest number of fruits per plant, fresh and dev fruit yields per hectare were from Aleppo variety (29.23. 46.37 and 9.51 t/ha) followed by Cubanefie variety (22.87, 14.96 and 7.08 t/ha, respectively) while Trinidad variety had the least (5.63, 2.82 and 1.31 t/ha). Fresh and dry fruit yields per hectare from Aleppo variety were higher than other varieties by 10- 83% and 26 -86 %, respectively. Therefore, planting Aleppo and or Cubanelle variety(ies) has high potentials for pepper production in as ultisol.