Growth and yield of dry cultivated Capsicum frutescens plants under different doses of kinetin

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to identify the effect of kinetin on Capsicum frutescens fruit yield. The research was carried out between October 2015 and September 2016 in the experimental field at the State University of Goiás, Brazil. This region has a tropical climate with a dry winter and wet summer. The experiment was conducted in rainy conditions (without irrigation) in a randomized block design with five treatments (plants submitted to 0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg L-1 kinetin in volume of 30 ml/plant/application in a total of two applications at a 40-day interval, started at the R 2 reproductive stage), six replications and the plots consisted of two useful plants. The variables stomata density, specific leaf area, stem and canopy diameter, length and width of completely opened leaves did not fit the linear and quadratic regression models in function of the kinetin doses applied. Kinetin increased fruit drain strength and increased productivity of Capsicum frutescens. Plants treated with this cytokinin showed vigorous vegetative growth and significant increases in concentrations of photosynthetic pigments. The use of kinetin in Capsicum frutescens plants is a promising practice in the management of the species because it promotes morphophysiological adjustments in the plant that increase vegetative vigor and fruit yield.