EFFECTS OF PRUNING IN

BELL PEPPER (Capsicum annuum) PRODUCTION

IN MANTALONGON

A THESIS PROPOSAL PRESENTED TO

THE FACULTY OF THE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT
CEBU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY Argao Campus
Lamacan, Argao, Cebu

IN PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE

MAJOR IN HORTICULTURE

JAY MARK B. ENDOMA

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
The Problem and Its Scope
Bell pepperis a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annum. Cultivars of the plant
produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange, green, chocolate/brown,
vanilla/white, and purple. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent
pepper varieties as "sweet peppers". Peppers are native to Mexico, Central America
and northern South America. Pepper seeds were later carried to Spain in 1493 and from
there spread to other European, African and Asian countries. Today, China is the world's
largest pepper producer, followed by Mexico and Indonesia.
Pruning is a horticultural and silvicultural practice involving the selective removal of
parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. Reasons to prune plants include
deadwood removal, shaping (by controlling or directing growth), improving or
maintaining health, reducing risk from falling branches, preparing nursery specimens for
transplanting, and both harvesting and increasing the yield or quality of flowers and
fruits. The practice entails targeted removal of diseased, damaged, dead, nonproductive, structurally unsound, or otherwise unwanted tissue from crop and landscape
plants. Specialized pruning practices may be applied to certain plants, such as roses,
fruit trees, and grapevines. Different pruning techniques may be deployed on
herbaceous plants than those used on perennial woody plants. Hedges, by design, are
usually (but not exclusively) maintained by hedge trimming, rather than by pruning.

Pruning is an art. When you prune fruit tree and bushes, you selectively remove parts of
the plant to eliminate dead or deceased wood, promote the production of fruit and
flowers, and improve the shape of the plant. Pruning keeps a plant healthy and
vigorous. May plants will not set much fruit if their branches are crowding one another.
By thinning out the plant, more high quality fruit will be produced (Pruning, Organic
Gardening for the 21st Century by John Fedor).
Basic Principles. Pruning should always be done for a specific purpose and should
never be a substitute for good plant management. It should be kept in mind that flower
buds form principally on new growth; that cutting the back terminal growth produces
lateral branching at the point nearest the cut; and that by reducing the number of
growing points, it is possible to increase the amount of water and nutrients available to
those remaining. The pruning requirements for shaping plants vary according to
whether the end product is to be simply a symmetrical shrub or tree, a topiary, an
espaliered tree, or a fruit tree with a strong framework capable of bearing a large
quantity of high quality fruit.

Importance of the Study

The result of the study will provide the farmers (esp. the bell pepper growers) a
guide for recommending a cheaper technology which is the pruning since pruning is
done by just cutting rather than introducing more fertilizers or adding chemicals for
improving plant production and fruit quality.

Objective of theStudy
The main objective of the study is to evaluate the effects of pruning in bell pepper
production.
Specifically the study aims to:
1. To evaluate the following parameters;
1.1 number of fruits per treatment
1.2 mean yield in kg. per treatment
1.3 length of fruits per treatment
1.4 diameter of fruits per treatment
1.5 quality of the fruits in terms of texture

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The study will be focused on the effects of pruning of bell pepper.
All data will be gathered after the application of treatments (pruning) after
transplanting.

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Does Pruning Bell Peppers Help? How to Prune Pepper Plants

There are many theories and suggestions that float around the world of gardening. One
of them is that pruning pepper plants will help to improve the yield on peppers. You may
be wondering if pruning bell peppers in your garden can help your peppers give you
more fruit. The answer to this is not a simple one. Lets look at the idea of pruning bell
peppers and see if it is sound.
Two kinds of pepper plant pruning
First of all, we should make it clear that there are 2 ways for pruning bell peppers. The
first way for pruning pepper plants is early season pruning and the second is late
season pruning. We will look at the benefits of both of these.
Early season pepper plant pruning
When it comes to bell peppers, pruning at the beginning of the season, before the plant
has set fruit, is suppose to help increase yield. The theory goes that the increased air
circulation and better access of sunlight to the deeper parts of the plant will help it to
grow more peppers.
In university studies, this kind of bell peppers pruning actually slightly decreased the
number of fruits on the plant. So, the theory that doing this will increase the number of
fruits is false.

That being said, the studies did find that if you prune peppers early in the season, the
quality of the fruit was improved. So, pepper plant pruning is a trade off. You get slightly
fewer fruit but those fruit will be bigger.
How to prune peppers early in the season
Early season pepper plant pruning should not be done until the plant is at least a foot
tall and can stop once fruit have set. Most pepper plants have an overall Y shape and
branches then create smaller and smaller Ys off of the main stems. By the time the plant
is a foot tall, you will be able to see the strongest branches on the plant. Cut back any
smaller branches, including any suckers. Suckers are branches growing from the crook
where 2 other branches form a Y.
Be careful not to damage the main Y of the plant as this is the backbone of the plant.
Damaging it will cause the plant to perform poorly.
Late season pepper plant pruning
The main reason to prune peppers late in the season is too speed up maturing the fruit
that are still on the plant. Pruning bell peppers late in the season does help to speed up
the ripening process because it focuses the plants energy on the remaining fruit.
How to prune peppers late in the season
A few weeks before first frost, trim back all the branches on the plant except for the
branches that have fruit that have a chance of ripening before the end of the season.
From the entire plant, carefully snip off the flowers and any fruit too small to have a

chance to fully ripen before the frost. Pruning pepper plants this way will force the
remaining energy in the plant to the remaining fruit.

Plant density and shoot pruning on yield and quality of a summer greenhouse sweet
pepper crop in North-Central Florida

Abstract
In greenhouse crops, fruit yield and quality can be increased by managing shoot
pruning and plant density. The effect of plant population density (2, 3 and 4 plantm-2
, as function of in-row plant spacing: 66.5, 44.3 and 33.3 cm, respectively), and shoot
pruning (1, 2 and 4 main stems) was studied for effects on fruit yield, fruit quality and
plant growth of greenhouse grown sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Robusta)
during Summer 1998 in Gainesville, Florida. Plants were grown in perlite bags and
irrigated with a nutrient solution. Red fruits were harvested 84 and 118 days after
transplanting (Apr. 14th). Additional fruit set was inhibited due to the high temperatures.
Marketable yield (number and weight) per m2 increased linearly with plant density and
was greater on plants with four stems than in those with two or one stem. Extra large
fruit yield per m2 was not affected by plant density but was higher in
four-stem plants. Total marketable yield and extra large fruit yields per plant were
greatest in the four-stem plants at 2 plantm-2. The stem length and the number of
nodes per stem increased linearly with the decrease in plant spacing. Stem length and

number of nodes per stem were greater in single-stem than in four-stem plants. Number
and dry weight of leaves, stem diameter, and total plant dry weight were higher in four
and two than in single-stem plants. Total stem weight in four-stem plants increased
linearly with the decrease of plant density. Results indicated that 4 plantm-2
pruned to four stems increased marketable and extra large fruit yield in a short harvest
period of a summer greenhouse sweet pepper crop in Northcentral Florida.

Follow Proper Pruning Techniques

Pruning, like any other skill, requires knowing what you are doing to achieve success.
The old idea that anyone with a chain saw or a pruning saw can be a landscape pruner
is far from the truth. More trees are killed or ruined each year from improper pruning
than by pests. Remember that pruning is the removal or reduction of certain plant parts
that are not required, that are no longer effective, or that are of no use to the plant. It is
done to supply additional energy for the development of flowers, fruits, and limbs that
remain on the plant. Pruning, which has several definitions, essentially involves
removing plant parts to improve the health, landscape effect, or value of the plant. Once
the objectives are determined and a few basic principles understood, pruning primarily
is a matter of common sense.
The necessity for pruning can be reduced or eliminated by selecting the proper plant for
the location. Plants that might grow too large for the site, are not entirely hardy, or
become unsightly with age should be used wisely and kept to a minimum in the
landscape plan. Advances in plant breeding and selection in the nursery industry

provide a wide assortment of plants requiring little or no pruning. However, even the
most suitable landscape plants often require some pruning.
Why Prune?
1) To improve the appearance or health of a plant. Prompt removal of diseased,
damaged, or dead plant parts speeds the formation of callus tissue, and sometimes
limits the spread of insects and disease. For trees, pruning a dense canopy permits
better air circulation and sunlight penetration. To avoid future problems, remove
crossing branches that rub or interfere with each other, and those that form narrow
crotches.
2) To control the size of a plant. Pruning reduces the size of a plant so that it remains in
better proportion with your landscape. Pruning can also decrease shade, prevent
interference with utility lines, and allow better access for pest control.
3) To prevent personal injury or property damage. Remove dead or hazardously low
limbs to make underlying areas safer. Corrective pruning also reduces wind resistance
in trees. Prune shrubs with thorny branches back from walkways and other well-traveled
areas. Have trained or certified arborists handle any pruning work in the crowns of large
trees.
4) To train young plants. Train main scaffold branches (those that form the structure of
the canopy) to produce stronger and more vigorous trees. You'll find it easier to shape
branches with hand pruners when a plant is young than to prune larger branches later.
Pruning often begins with young plants for bonsai, topiary, espalier, or other types of
special plant training.

5) To influence fruiting and flowering. Proper pruning of flower buds encourages early
vegetative growth. You can also use selective pruning to stimulate flowering in some
species, and to help produce larger (though fewer) fruits in others.
6) To rejuvenate old trees and shrubs. As trees and shrubs mature, their forms may
become unattractive. Pruning can restore vigor, and enhance the appearance of these
plants.
What tools are needed?
Use hand pruners to cut stems up to 3/4 inches in diameter. Two types of pruners are
available: bypass and anvil. Bypass pruners have sharpened, curved, scissors-type
blades that overlap. Anvil pruners have straight upper blades that cut against flat lower
plates. Although anvil pruners are usually cheaper, they tend to crush stems as they cut.
Furthermore, the width of the anvil can prevent you from reaching in to get a close cut
on narrow-angled stems. Due to these drawbacks, bypass pruners are generally
recommended.

Pruning and plant training

Pepper plants are indeterminate plants, that is, they continually grow new stems and
leaves. For this reason the plants have to be pruned and trained on a regular basis in
order to ensure a balanced growth for maximum fruit production. Pepper plants are
managed with two main stems per plant, resulting in a density of 6 stems/m from an

initial planting density of 3 plants/m2. Pruning also improves air circulation around the
plant which helps to reduce disease (Horbowicz and Stepowska 1995). Plants are
generally pruned every two weeks. As new leaves and lateral side shoots develop from
the axils of the new nodes on the growing stems, they have to be pruned to maintain the
two main-stem architecture of the plant. The pepper flowers also develop at the nodes.
A node is defined as a point on the stem from which leaves arise (Tootil and Blackmore
1984) and the length of stem between nodes is called an internode. The term "axil"
refers to the upper angle formed by the junction of a leaf (or lateral) with the stem (Tootil
and Blackmore 1984).
After about 1 week in the greenhouse the all the plants will have developed 2 to 3 stem
shoots at the fork. At this point the plants should be pruned to leave the two strongest
stems. These two stems will be managed to carry the full production of the plants
throughout the year. Each stem will grow to a height of up to 4 meters (13 feet) and
require support in order to remain upright. Twine hung from the overhead support wires
is used to support each stem. The twine is tied to the main stem about 30 centimeters
(12 inches) up from the block, one length of twine per stem. Ensure that the twine is not
tied too tightly to the stem or the stem can be damaged as it expands. One other
approach with the twine is to lay the twine on the sawdust bag just before transplanting
the plant onto the sawdust. As the plant roots into the sawdust it secures the twine.
Enough slack is left in the twine so that it can be twisted around the stem as it grows
and develops throughout the year.
Early in the season the plants are pruned to one leaf per node, that is the main leaf at
the node is allowed to develop and the lateral stem developing from the node is

removed. Beginning in April, a second leaf can be left to develop at every node on the
main stem. The lateral stem is allowed to develop to its first node, at which point a leaf
develops as well as another secondary lateral stem. The secondary lateral stem is
pruned out, leaving the first leaf on the original lateral stem as well as the primary leaf
on the main stem. The reason for leaving this second leaf is to increase the leaf area of
the canopy to both make better use of the increasing light levels and to provide shade
for the developing fruit. In May a third leaf (two leaves on the primary lateral) can be
allowed to develop on plants that are in perimeter rows. Care has to be taken when
pruning to ensure that the main stem is not "blinded", that the growing point of the main
stem is not pruned out. If this occurs the main stem will not develop any further. The
main approach to avoid blinding the main stem is to allow the lateral to develop 1.5 to
2.0 centimeters (0.5 to 1.0 inches) before pinching it out. This allows the lateral to be
clearly identified an makes it easier to be very clear on what is being removed to ensure
that the main stem growing point is left intact.

CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Experimental area

The study will be conducted in Mantalongon, Dalaguete, Cebu, 13km from the
town proper and 800m above sea level utilizing a land area of 300 sq.m (20m by 15m)
enough to accommodate two treatments.
Methods
Site Preparation
Peppers can be produced on a wide variety of soil types. They grow best,
however, in deep, medium textured sandy loam or loamy, fertile, well-drained soils.
Avoid sites that tend to stay wet. Also, rotate away from fields that have
hadsolanaceous crops within the past 3 or 4 years. In field production, plants depend on
thesoil for (1) physical support and anchorage, (2) nutrients and (3) water. The degree
towhich the soil adequately provides these three factors depends upon topography, soil
type, soilstructure and soil management. For pepper production, proper tillage is crucial
for adequate soil management and optimal yields. Land preparation should involve
enough tillage operations to make the soil suitable for seedling (or transplant)
establishment and to provide the best soil structure for rootgrowth and development.
The extent to which the root systems ofpepper plants develop is influenced by the soil
profile. Root growth will be restricted if there is a hard pan, compacted layer or heavy
clay zone.
Peppers are considered to be moderately deep rooted and, under favorable
conditions, roots will grow to a depth of 36 to 48 inches. But the majority of roots will be
in the upper 12 to 24 inches of soil. Since root development is severely limited by

compacted soil, proper land preparation should eliminate or significantly reduce soil
compaction and hard pans. Tillage systems using the moldboard (bottom) plow
prepare the greatest soil volume conducive to vigorous root growth. This allows more
extensive root systems to develop, which can more efficiently access nutrients and
water in the soil. Disking after moldboard plowing tends to re-compact the soil and
should be avoided.
The planting distance will be 75cm between hills and 100cm between rows.
Basal application will be followed after staking using Vermi compost to be applied 50
grams in every hill.
Seeds will be sown in a seed box and after ten days will be transplanted in the field.

Application of Treatment
The application of pruning will be introduced on the first week after transplanting
using pruning shears when the plants grow a not at least foot high as stated in the
review of literature.After about 1 week in the field, all the plants will have developed 2 to
3 stem shoots at the fork. At this point the plants should be pruned to leave the two
strongest stems forming a Y shape as shown in figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1 Pruned Y-shape pepper plant

Be careful not to damage the main Y of the plant as this is the backbone of the plant.
Damaging it will cause the plant to perform poorly.

Data Gathering
The parameters of the study are the areas to be observed and monitored on which
are the following;
A. number of fruits per treatment- this will be done by counting the fruits in each
treatment this will be monitored and data will be collected weekly until harvest.
B. length of fruits per treatment- this will be done by measuring the length of the
fruits using a tape measure. The data will be gathered after harvesting.
C. diameter of fruits or Fruit size- this will be done using the vernier caliper to
evaluate the size of fruits in each treatment.

D. average yield per treatment- this will be done after harvesting. The fruits will
be placed in a weighing scale to get the weight.
E. quality of the fruits in terms of texture- this will be done after harvesting . Fruits
will be touched and then subjected through a hedonic scale with the following
criteria:
5- very fine textured
4- fine textured
3- average
2- coarse
1- very coarse
Five crop cuts will be used measuring 2mx5m (10 plants) in each treatment to
ensure the fairness and to avoid bias in the study. All 10 plants will be marked as
Samples 1-10.

Research Design
The experiment will be patterned in a comparative design having two treatments as
follows:
T1 control
T2 applied with pruning
Experimental Layout
T1
Crop cut 1
Crop cut 2

T2
Crop cut 1
Crop cut 2

Crop cut 3
Crop cut 4
Crop cut 5

Crop cut 3
Crop cut 4
Crop cut 5

*in a crop cut (2mx10m)

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Sample 4

Sample 5

Sample 6

Sample 7

Sample 8

Sample 9

Sample 10

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Statistical treatment
All data to be gathered will be collected from the research using the different
parameters will be subjected to statistical test and will be presented in graphs and
tables.

Statistical tools
1. The Arithmetic Mean

The arithmetic mean will be used to measure the central tendency of

all the parameters,
The formula for calculating the arithmetic mean is:

Arithmetic mean = (X1 + X2 + X3 + ... +XN) / N

where X1, X2, X3, XN are the values of the observations being averaged
and N equals the number of observations

2. T-test
The T-test will be used to compare two sets of data and measure the
amount of variance.
The factors of concern are:
(i)
(ii)

The nearness of the mean values of the two sets;

The size of the variance ( how tightly clustered is the data)

Once the value of t has been determined it is possible to look at a table of

critical values to find the significance of the difference. The formula is:

APPENDICES

Time Table of Activities

Activities
1. Area clearing
1. Basal application
2. Sowing seeds
3. Transplanting of seedlings
4. Fertilizer application

JUNE

CALENDAR OF ACTVITIES
JULY
AUGUST SEPTEMBER

5. Application

of

treatment

(pruning)
6. weeding
7. insecticide spraying
8. 1st harvest
9. weeding
10. 2nd fertilizer application
11. 2nd harvest
12. Insecticide spraying
13. 3rd harvest
14. Data compilation
15. Analyzing gathered data
and

start

of

thesis

manuscript making
Budgetary Requirement
This table presents the approximate budget or cost of the study to be held upon
approval.
A. LABOR

COST

Area clearing1MD200
Basal application, staking 1MD200
Transplanting of seedlings1MD
Pruning1MD

200

200

Fertilizer application 3MD

600

Spraying 3MD

600

Weeding 2MD

400

Harvesting and grading 3MD

600

SUBTOTAL

3,000

B. MATERIALS
Seeds 1 pack

500

Vermicompost(basal)1 bag
Insecticide 1 bottle
Fertilizer
Urea

300
1,500

complete(14-14-14) 1 bag

1,800

1 bag 1,200

Pruning shears

1 pc 100

SUBTOTAL5,400
C. MISCELLANEOUS 1,500
GRAND TOTAL ______________________________

9,900Php

Bibliography

Books
John Fedor,Pruning, Organic Gardening for the 21 st Century

Heather Rhoades,Does Pruning Bell Peppers Help? How to Prune Pepper Plants

Douglas F. Welsh andEverett Janne, Extension Landscape Horticulturist (deceased)

, Professor and Extension Horticulturist,Follow Proper Pruning Techniques

Website
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/pruning-bell-peppers.htm
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/landscape/proper-pruning-techniques/
www.wikipedia .com
www.google.com