Effect of soilless growing media and fertigation on capsicum production under naturally ventilated polyhouse in cold desert region of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

An experiment on effect of soilless growing media and fertigation on capsicum production under naturally ventilated polyhouse was conducted at Regional Horticulture Research Sub-Station, Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Tabo, Spiti during year 2015 and 2016. Significant individual effect of growing media and fertigation was found on parameters like harvest duration, plant height, number of fruits per plant, fruit yield per plant, fruit yield per m2 and fruit yield per ha during both the years. Interaction effect of growing media and fertigation was found significant for harvest duration, number of fruits per plant, fruit yield per plant, fruit yield per m2 and fruit yield per ha. Soilless growing media comprising of vermicompost: sand (2:1) and fertigation @ 250 kg NPK/ha recorded the maximum harvest duration (52 days), fruit yield per plant (621.31 & 585.85 g), fruit yield per m2 (4.60 & 4.33 kg) and fruit yield per ha (46.02 & 43.40 MT) during year 2015 and 2016, respectively.