Agrotechnology

Interactive effect of nutrients and wastewater on capsaicin content and fruit yield of chilli (Capsaicin content L.)

2^nd International Conference on Agricultural & Horticultural Sciences

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Hyderabad, India February 03-05, 2014

Saba Iqbal, Arif Inam, Akhtar Inam and Seema Sahay

Posters: Agrotechnol

Abstract:

In recent years water shortages and environmental hazards of wastewater have promoted the formers to use of wastewater for irrigation especially for the cultivation of vegetable crops in urban areas. Chilli ( Capsicum annuum L.) a member of nightshade family Solonaceae is one of the most widely grown vegetable in the world and is an important commercial vegetable and spice crop of India. This study was therefore conducted to observe the promotion of capsaicin content and yield of chilli ( Capsicum annuum L.) by interactive effect of nitrogenous fertilizer and wastewater. Four different doses of nitrogen at the rate of 0, 30, 60 and 90 kg N/ha along with a constant dose of phosphorus at the rate of 60 kg P/ha and potassium at the rate of 50 kg K/ha were applied one day prior to sowing. Seedlings were irrigated with three levels of waters (GW, 50% WW and 100% WW). The data of growth and photosynthetic rate were recorded at 60 days after transplantation (DAT) while yield characteristics were determined at harvest. Capsaicin content was estimated in dried chilli powder. Results revealed that wastewater irrigation resulted significant increase in shoot, root fresh weight and dry weight, leaf area, net photosynthetic rate (P N ), stomatal conductance (g s ), transpiration rate, internal CO 2 and fruit yield. Among nitrogen treatments, N 60 proved best and recorded highest capsaicin content while among interactions the lower nitrogen dose N 30 with 100% WW proved optimum by giving at par result with combination of higher nitrogen treatment N 60 with GW indicating that fertilizer rates could be lowered with the use of wastewater which can serve not only as the source of water but of nutrients also. However, regular monitoring of wastewater and soil for any build up of heavy metals is necessary. The physical and chemical parameters of wastewater were also tested and most of them were found to be well within the permissible limits as set by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Biography :

Saba Iqbal is a research scholar doing Ph.D. (Plant Physiology and Environmental Sciences) from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India.