Effect of Poultry Manure on Pepper Veinal Mottle Virus (PVMV), Yield and Agronomic Parameters of Pepper ( Capsicum annuum) in Nigeria

Abstract

Four fertilizer treatments were applied to two PVMV susceptible pepper (Capsicun annuum) varieties (NHV1-D96 and NHV1-E96) and one PVMV tolerant variety (NHV1-G96) to determine their effects in reducing the incidence and severity of pepper veinal mottle virus disease and on yield and agronomic parameters. The treatments were: (1) no manure application, (2) poultry litter organic manure at the rate of 10 tons/ha, (3) poultry litter organic manure at the rate of 20 tons/ha, and (4) NPK (20:10:10) at the rate of 0.26 tons/ha inorganic fertilizer. Broadcasting method was used for all the fertilizer applications. The experiment was carried out both in the field using a randomized complete block design and in 5 kg sterilized soil-potted experiment in the greenhouse in complete randomized design. The treatments showed a significant effect (P < 0.01) on PVMV disease incidence and severity, plant height, leaf number, internodes distance, number of fruit per plant, and fruit yield both in the field and greenhouse plants. The interactions between the treatments were also significant (P < 0.05) for PVMV disease incidence and severity, plant height, leaf number, internodes distance, number of fruit per plant and fruit yield. Mean PVMV disease incidence and severity, plant height, leaf number, internodes distance, number of fruit per plant and fruit yield, varied significantly (P < 0.05) in all the treatments applied. The application of 10 tons/ha and 20 tons/ha poultry manure showed a significant (P < 0.01) effect in reducing the incidence and severity of PVMV disease on the three pepper varieties. The poultry manure treatments were also observed to have positively and significantly contributed (P < 0.05) to the plant height, leaf number and fruit yield of PVMV infected pepper plants in all the three pepper varieties used both in the field and in the greenhouse. The yield of pepper decreased with increasing PVMV disease incidence and severity in all the treatments.