EFFECT OF PINCHING IN VEGETATIVE AND REPRODUCTIVE ATTRIBUTES OF CHILLI (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L.)

Abstract

Pinching promotes branching, which results in bushy growth and a more significant number of flowers, ultimately resulting in higher seed yield. An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of pinching on the vegetative and reproductive attributes of chili on farmer fields in the Lamjung district to study its effect on height, branching system, and yield of the plant. Seven treatments in total that is pinching at 25th, 30th, 35th, 25th & 35th, 40th, and 25th & 40th DAT with three replications was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD). Out of the seven-treatment applied, pinching at 25DAT + 40DAT gave the best result in terms of yield, followed by another double pinching at 25DAT+35DAT. Single pinching at 40th DAT, 35th DAT, and 30th DAT was at par, while control treatment gave inferior results. A significant reduction in height was reported in the pinched plot than in the control. Similarly increase in the number of primary and secondary flowering branches was reported in the pinched plant as compared to the controlled condition. Pinched plants also reported maximum days to 50% flowering compared to the controlled condition. Among the pinched plants, double pinching takes a maximum of days to flower followed by single pinching, while control takes a minimum of days to flower.

Keywords

• pinching
• flowering
• yield
• chili