Mavengahama S., Ogunlela V.B., Mariga I.K.
Abstract
On-farm trials were conducted in the Chinyika Resettlement Area of Zimbabwe during the 2000-2002 cropping seasons
to assess the effectiveness of hardening methods for seedlings of two paprika cultivars
(‘PapriKing’ and ‘Red Tsar’) in the smallholder system. The hardening treatments compared include:
H0 – regularly watering seedlings up to transplanting; H1 – seedling watering stopped two weeks transplanting;
H2 – water withheld at the beginning of 5th week by skipping one day during the 5th week, 2 days during
the 6th week and then completely withhold watering beginning of the 7th week; H4 – no watering in the
6th and 7th weeks only; H5 – withholding water from 5th week until transplanting. Main effects of both cultivar
and hardening methods were not significant but there were significant interactions between paprika cultivar and
hardening method with respect to field establishment. When paprika seedlings were not hardened cv. ‘Red Tsar’ had
a higher mortality but a higher fruit yield than cv. ‘PapriKing’. Similarly, cultivars x hardening method
interactions were significant for both total and marketable fruit yields. Unhardened cv. ‘PapriKing’ seedlings
field established better than ‘Red Tsar’ seedlings. When the farmer does not have the opportunity or time to
harden his paprika seedlings prior to transplanting, then his choice of variety becomes rather crucial.
In other words, field establishment and paprika fruit yield were not determined by the main effects of either
variety or method of seedling hardening, rather by their interaction. Effective hardening of seedlings occurred
when water was withheld during two weeks preceding seedling transplanting
Key words:
Capsicum annuum L. cultivars, moisture stress, on-farm, seedling transplanting, transplant mortality