Effect of liming on growth, yield and profitability of naga chili (capsicum chinense jacq) in acidic soil

Abstract

Acidic soil conditions often limit the nutrient availability and plant development, thereby reducing agricultural productivity. Hence, a field investigation was conducted during 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons at the Spices Research Sub-Station, Jaintapur, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Sylhet to evaluate the effect of liming on acidic soils to optimize the vegetative growth, yield, and profitability of Naga chili (Capsicum chinense Jacq.). In this study, dolomite was used as a liming material. A randomized complete block design was employed with three replications. The experiment consisted of six treatments as liming doses which were- 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 t ha⁻¹. Results revealed that lime application in acidic soil significantly boosted plant growth, fruit yield attributes, fruit yield, and economic profitability. The highest fruit yields of Naga chili were recorded 9.89 t ha⁻¹ in 2020 and 7.51 t ha⁻¹ in 2021 with 2.5 t ha⁻¹ lime application. This was followed by 2.0 t ha⁻¹ lime, which produced fruit yield, 9.20 t ha⁻¹ in 2020 and 6.64 t ha⁻¹ in 2021. The control treatment yielded the lowest, with 3.89 t ha⁻¹ in 2020 and 3.61 t ha⁻¹ in 2021. In 2020, the maximum marginal rate of return (MRR) was 1,515% with 1.5 t ha⁻¹ of lime, while in 2021, it reached 970% with 1.0 t ha⁻¹. The highest average MRR (1,115%) was recorded at a liming rate of 1.0 t ha⁻¹. Consequently, applying either 1.0 t ha⁻¹ or 1.5 t ha⁻¹ of lime proved to be the most economically viable treatment for Naga chili cultivation in the acidic soils of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 50(3): 247-262, September 2025