This study was carried out to investigate the effect of soil moisture content on the blossom and fruit drop of Red-pepper.
1. Flowering and Blossom Drop
Every soil moisture level resulted in 2 blossoming peak respectively from July to August and from September to October. But 10% soil moisture level showed the earlier blossoming rate as 77% of flowers up to August to total No. of flowers while 2 other levels were respectively 64% and 69% and also the earlier blossoming is considered to be a cause of higher rate of blossom drop of 25.5%.
2. Rate of Fruit Setting and Fruit Drop
Soil moisture level had no effect on the fruit setting. But while in the case of fruit drop rate, 10% level showed the highest fruit drop rate of 71.2%, 20%, and 30% level resulted in respectively 55.6%, 57.4% of lower fruit drop rate.
3. No. of Fruits picked per plant, Average Fruit Weight and Yield
10%, 20% and 30% soil moi sture level resulted in respectively 58, 53, fruits picked, als oaverage fruit weight was respectively 13.1g in 30% soil moisture level, 10.3g in 20% level, and 8.6g in 10% level. The more the fruits, the smaller was the fruit weight. It would be the nutritional competetion between fruits in the same plant.
4. Red pepper root showed the first wilting symptom 40 hrs after soaking the underground part. By this point the respirating activity measured by the CO₂ amount released from root declined rapidly but after that slow declining was followed.
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