BELL PEPPER YIELD AS INFLUENCED BY PLANT SPACING AND ROW ARRANGEMENT

Studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of plant spacing, row a rrangement and N rate on bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruit produc tion. Peppers were grown on a recently cleared sandy soil on raised po lyethylene mulch beds during 2 years with one and two plant rows on 1. 22-m beds and two and three plant rows on 1.83-m beds with two in-row plant spacings and two N rates. Marketable fruit production was simila r during the 2 years. Yields per plant were 30% greater with a 0.31- t han a 0.23-m in-row plant spacing. Even with the 33.3% larger number o f plants per ha with the latter in-row spacing, yields per ha were sim ilar with both in-row spacings. Yields per plant also varied with bed arrangement and were 50% greater with one row/1.22-m bed than with two rows/1.22-m bed or three rows/1.83-m bed. Plant populations were doub le with the two latter arrangements (53,818 plants/ha) than the former (25,909 plant/ha) arrangement with a 0.31-m in-row spacing. Thus, tot al yields were significantly greater with row arrangements with higher than lower plant populations. With three rows/1.83-m bed, the marketa ble fruit yields per plant were 19% lower for plants grown on the insi de plant row than from plants grown on the outside plant rows. Leaf ti ssue N concentrations were higher during the season with 224 than with 135 kg N/ha, but yield was not influenced by N rate.