Preliminary study on the effect of NPK (15-15-15) fertilizer and plastic mulch on growth and yield of three chili cultivars grown in field and pot conditions

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of Black Plastic Mulch (BPM) and different rates of NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer on the growth and yield of three chili cultivars under field and protected cultivation. Two levels of mulch (BPM and no mulch), three levels of NPK (0, 200 and 300 kg/ha), and three cultivars “Demond F1” (DF1), “Legon 18” (L18), and “Shito Adope”, (SA) were used. Split application of half of each of the 200 and 300 kg/ha rates were applied two and four weeks after transplanting. Vegetative growth indices, soil moisture, and soil temperature were measured at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks after transplanting. The yield was calculated using AVRDC (1990) formula for chili pepper. The study revealed an increase in soil temperature and moisture under BPM for both studies. Also, 200 kg/ha NPK and BPM led to an increase in vegetative growth and yield for DF1 and SA. However, 300 kg/ha NPK decreased vegetative growth. In addition, there was no significant influence of BPM on the number of fruits harvested. However, for the pot study, BPM led to an increase in the number of fruits for “Legon 18” as compared to the other cultivars. The study, therefore, concludes that 200 kg/ha NPK was the best when cultivating DF1 and SA, for chili growth and development in the savannah ecological zone

The Use of Different Modes of Transportation Affects the Chemical Qualities of Watermelon Fruits (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb]) Transported from the Farm Gates in the Hinterlands to the Urban Markets in the Tamale Metropolis in the Northern Region of Ghana

The perishable nature of fruits and vegetables are a major concern to post harvest scientist. Postharvest handling practices particularly, mode of transportation is contributing to loss of essential chemical qualities of watermelon fruits. This study sought to identify the means of transport responsible for chemical damage in watermelons and also to assess watermelon varieties affected by these modes of transport in the Tamale Metropolis in Ghana. It revealed that watermelon conveyed by Kia Mini Truck (0.80 t) mode of transportation experienced the highest chemical damages (13.82 %) while watermelon conveyed by Mini Pick-up Truck recorded the least chemical damage (13.3%). It also showed that Sugar baby variety encountered the highest chemical damages (13.82%) while Crimson sweet variety recorded the lowest value (13.2 %) Keywords: Chemical qualities, Total tartritable acidity, Total soluble solids, and moisture DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/13-4-05 Publication date:March 31st 202