USE OF SICKLEPOD, SENNA OBTUSIFOLIA (L.) IRWIN AND BARNEBY, AS MULCH INTERPLANT IN CAYENNE PEPPER, CAPSICUM FRUTESCENS L., PRODUCTION

Abstract

The suitability of sicklepod as mulch interplant to smother weeds in the crop interrows and generate mulch in situ in the production of cayenne pepper was investigated on the field in 1997 and 1998 at Ibadan in the dry rainforest of Nigeria. The Senna-interplant treatment was compared with plastic-, grass- and woodchip-mulched treatments, hand weeding control and unweeded control in a randomised complete block design using four replications. Pepper fruit yield from Senna-interplant was similar to those from plastic and grass mulch in 1997, but was significantly (P