Evaluation of Improved Hot Pepper Cultivars (Capsicum spp) in Ekiti State, Southwestern Nigeria

Resumo

The agronomic features of nine (9) hot pepper (Capsicum annuum) varieties obtained
from EMBRAPA, Brazil (3); NIHORT, Ibadan (4) and local landraces (2) were evaluated in
2013 at the Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria. The
experiment was laid out as a factorial split-plot design with fertilizer as main plot and the
varieties as sub-plots in three replicates. Growth indices: plant height, stem girth and number of
leaves; yield and fruit parameters: fruit length, fruit girth and pericarp thickness were measured.
The agro-economic indicators calculated were incremental yield, net returns and benefit-cost
ratio. The varieties differed significantly (P<0.05) in the growth and fruit parameters. Two
varieties (Z106 and Z107) from Brazil gave significantly (P<0.05) higher yields than the local
varieties (F104 and F105) and those developed in NIHORT. The profitability of Z106 was the
highest followed by Z107 while F104 gave the least due to the low yield recorded as a result of
severe disease infection. The study shows that Z106 and Z107 varieties could be adopted for
profitable pepper production in Ekiti State.