Fruits is a scientific journal for original articles and reviews on fruit crops in temperate, Mediterranean, subtropical and tropical regions

‘Nsukka Yellow’ pepper is an aromatic pepper (Capsicum annuum) grown in specific rural locales in southeastern Nigeria. Ripe fruits are predominantly yellow and are exported to Nigerian cities where they command premium price. The need to develop appropriate technologies for adaptation and cultivation of ‘Nsukka Yellow’ pepper in cities where there are scarcity of agricultural lands motivated evaluation of the pepper as a potherb using three poultry manure (PM) rates (0, 5 and 10 t/ha). Three-week old seedlings were transplanted into 11 L containers and laid out in a completely randomized design replicated 10 times. Growth, yield and nutritional quality of fruits (at different ripening stages) were determined in response to applied manure. Plant height, number of leaves and number of branches increased with increasing level of PM, which translated to increased number of fruits and fruit weight per plant. Plants that received 10 t/ha of PM produced the highest fruit yield. Mature green, half ripe and fully ripe fruits were analyzed for ash, carbohydrate, fat, crude fiber, moisture, protein, alkaloid, flavonoid, tannin and volatile oil contents using standard methods. Both yellow fruits and red fruits (off-type from mutated branches) were harvested and analyzed for nutritional quality. Fruits harvested from 10 t/ha PM had the highest percent fat, crude fiber, moisture content, alkaloid, flavonoid, tannin and volatile oil. However, 5 t/ha produced fruits with the highest ash and protein contents; fruits from plants without manure had the highest percent carbohydrate. Fully ripe fruits had the highest percent carbohydrate, crude fiber, alkaloid, flavonoid, tannin and volatile oil, but green fruits had higher values for moisture and protein. Red fruits had the highest values for fat, carbohydrate, protein, alkaloid, flavonoid and volatile oil while the yellow type had the highest percent values for ash, crude fiber and tannin. Data on growth, yield and nutritional quality had significant positive response to the PM rates, suggesting that 10 t/ha is recommendable for growing the pepper as a potherb. Key words: Aromatic pepper, containerization, manure rates, nutritional quality.

Alternaria leaf spot of cabbage, caused by the Alternaria brassicicola, affects leaves of cabbages and often results in head rots causing severe decline in yield. In this work, the effects of systemic and combination fungicides on A. brassicicola mycelia growth in vitro and disease severity in field trials were investigated. The results of in vitro evaluation revealed that both fungicides significantly inhibited (p < 0.05) the growth of A. brassicicola under in vitro conditions. However, metalaxyl-M 6% was less effective with 100 μg/mL having only 30 ± 3.5% inhibition. On the other hand, 100 μg/mL of mancozeb 63% + carbendazim 12% had 94 ± 3.5% growth inhibition of A. brassicicola, respectively, under the same conditions. Dose-response analysis of the efficacy of the two fungicides showed that the LC₅₀ of metalaxyl-M 6% and mancozeb 63% + carbendazim 12% were 125.52 ppm and 57.22 ppm, respectively, indicating the superiority of combination fungicide over systemic fungicide alone. Field studies showed that while manure type significantly impacted on biomass production (p < 0.001), it did not significantly affect disease severity. On the other hand, the frequency of fungicide application impacted on disease severity, with biweekly application leading to a significant reduction in disease severity after 10 weeks.

Carrot cultivation in south-eastern Nigeria could reduce the need to transport carrots from northern regions. To explore this, a field experiment with three replications was carried out in Nsukka, south-eastern Nigeria, focusing on four carrot varieties (Carotte Touchon, Touchon Mega, Super Mega, and Touchon France) and three poultry manure rates (0, 10, and 20 t ha⁻¹). The study revealed that Carotte Touchon had the highest root production (11.6 t ha⁻¹) with 20 t ha⁻¹ of manure, followed by 7.5 t ha⁻¹ at 10 t ha⁻¹, while Touchon Mega had the lowest root yield (1.4 t ha⁻¹) in the control group. Proximate quality of carrots was mostly unaffected by the varieties, except for fat content. The study found significant variations in vitamins A, C, and E, phytochemicals (phytate, tannins, and oxalate), and minerals (Fe, Mg, Na, and K) among the varieties, although no impact on Zn and Ca was observed. This research suggests that carrots have substantial growth potential in south-eastern Nigeria, offering a solution to vitamin and mineral deficiencies prevalent in this area. Additionally, Carotte Touchon with either 20 t ha⁻¹ or 10 t ha⁻¹ of poultry manure is recommended for optimal carrot cultivation in this region.

The productivity of sandy tropical soils may be enhanced through the application of composted organic materials. This study investigates the effects of composted mixtures of brewery spent grain (BSG) and animal manures on the growth of green amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus L) under field conditions. Composted treatments included BSG mixed with poultry droppings (PD) or cattle dung (CD) in volumetric ratios of 1:1 and 2:1 prior to composting, resulting in four compost variants: BSG+PD(1:1), BSG+PD(2:1), BSG+CD(1:1), and BSG+CD(2:1). Additionally, composted BSG alone served as a reference. Each amendment was added at 20 t ha-1 , alongside an un-amended control for comparative purposes. Growth and yield assessments conducted four weeks post-sowing revealed that not all amended treatments outperformed the control. Notably, the BSG+PD(1:1) treatment consistently increased total biomass (fresh and dry matter yields by approximately 143% and 58%, respectively) as immediate effects, and significantly more (184% and 108%, respectively) as residual effects when compared to the control. Leaf yields under this treatment showed increases of 173-177% (immediate effects) and 122-125% (residual effects). These variations in amaranth growth and yield were primarily attributed to improvements in soil exchangeable calcium (Ca) and total nitrogen (N) content due to the compost application. The findings suggest that a composted equal-volume mix of BSG and PD may serve as an effective organic amendment for enhancing the yield of short-duration leafy vegetables like amaranth in coarse-textured soils of the humid tropics.