The Effect of Varying Poultry Manure Concentration Mixed with Sandy Soil on Plumule Emergence and Seedling Growth of Capsicum annuum

Capsicum annuum, commonly referred to as chili pepper, bell pepper, or sweet pepper depending on cultivar, is a widely cultivated species within the Capsicum genus. This study evaluated the effect of varying poultry manure concentrations mixed with sandy soil on plumule emergence, vegetative growth, and reproductive performance of Capsicum annuum. Treatments consisted of sandy soil amended with different concentrations of poultry manure ranging from low to high concentrations were applied viz: 10%, 20% 30% 40% and 50% while 100% poultry manure only served as control 1 and 100% sandy soil served as control 2. Growth parameters assessed included plumule emergence, plant height, stem girth, number of leaves, leaf area, number of flower and number of fruits. Results obtained revealed that 100% sandy soil (Control 1) recorded the highest (30%,) plumule emergence, plant height 100.20cm, stem girth 4.50cm, number of leaves 148.00, leaf area 126.79cm2, number of flowers 13.00 and number of fruits 7.00. Moderate poultry manure application at 20% supported limited growth but was consistently inferior to 100% sandy soil. Higher poultry manure concentrations (≥30%) completely inhibited plumule emergence, vegetative development, and reproductive growth as they all declined steadily with increasing poultry manure concentration. The research concluded that Capsicum annuum performs optimally under well-aerated sandy soil conditions and that excessive poultry manure application is detrimental to seedling establishment and productivity of this species. Careful regulation of poultry manure application is therefore essential to avoid phytotoxic effects and ensure sustainable pepper production.