A Procedure to Increase the Number of Cuttings Available for Vegetative Propagation of Sweet Pepper Plants

Abstract

The frequency of vegetative propagation of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) from scions is about 1.5 times per week under standard conditions. We developed a novel procedure to increase the rate of scion production to accelerate the utilization of sweet pepper cultivars via vegetative propagation. Pinching off the main stem above a higher node increased the number of scions, and all of the scions successfully developed roots. The number of scions produced was significantly increased by harvesting the primary and secondary lateral shoots, because the number of lateral shoots that developed was dependent on the number of axillary buds. The number of scions also increased with increasing the amount of fertilizer applied. The maximum frequency of propagation from scions achieved in this study was about 4.5 times per week.