Yield of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) by selective flower pruning and lateral bud trimming at the fourth bifurcation

Mexico is the second largest exporter of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) in the world, and for this reason, information on its management under hydroponics is necessary. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of four types of selective flower pruning against a control without pruning on yield and its components of four bell pepper cultivars. Population density was six plants per m² in a production system in which lateral buds were trimmed above the fourth stem bifurcation to shorten the crop cycle to four months after transplant. The hypothesis was that selective pruning of some flowers reduces the intensity of the demand for photoassimilates by a smaller number of fruits that grow simultaneously, and by the end of the cycle more fruits per plant will be produced. The experimental design was complete random blocks with five replications in an arrangement of split plots. The large plots were the cultivars and the subplots were pruning types. The variables included morphological traits, yield and yield components. Removal of the first flower, the two outer flowers at the third bifurcation and the four outer flowers at the third bifurcation favored a larger number of fruits per plant (8.1) but yield per plant did not increase. By the average of types of pruning, the Godzilla cultivar produced the highest yield (1.62 kg) because mean fruit weight was significantly higher (206 g) than that of the other cultivars. Yield per plant was not dependent on flower removal, but the location of those that were eliminated had an effect on the total number and percentage of fruits.