Effects of Organic Amendments on Growth and Disease Resistance of Green Chili (Capsicum annuum)

This study evaluated the effects of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), brown sugar, and white vinegar—individually and in combination—on the growth performance and disease resistance of green chili (Capsicum annuum). A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with seven treatments and three replications was employed. Data on plant height, number of fruits per plant, fruit weight, total yield, and disease incidence were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's HSD. Results showed that T5 (15g baking soda + 15g brown sugar + recommended rate of fertilizer) produced the tallest plants (78.57 cm) and the highest number of fruits per plant (56.22), representing a 37.8% increase over the control (32.22 fruits). Disease incidence was significantly lowest in T5 at 0.67%, an 89% reduction relative to the control (6.25%). Fruit weight and total yield showed no statistically significant differences among treatments, though T5 recorded the highest numerical values (0.36 g and 0.69 kg, respectively). These findings demonstrate that the synergistic combination of baking soda and brown sugar offers a practical, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable strategy for improving green chili productivity and disease management, with implications for smallholder farmers seeking to reduce reliance on synthetic agrochemicals.

organic amendments, baking soda, brown sugar

1. Abdelaziz, M., & Al-Khayri, J. M. (2023). Combined application of sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid reduces bell pepper fruit rot. Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, 98(3), 214–226. https://doi.org/10.1080/14620316.2023.2187134 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Alcantara, R., & Reyes, P. (2022). Brown sugar soil application on green chili (Capsicum annuum) production. Philippine Journal of Crop Science, 47(2), 45–55. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Dela Cruz, M., Santos, A., & Garcia, R. (2023). Challenges in Philippine chili production: A smallholder perspective. Philippine Agricultural Scientist, 106(1), 12–24. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Garcia, M., & Dela Pena, J. (2023). Foliar application of sodium bicarbonate and white vinegar on bell pepper in Benguet province. Journal of Tropical Crop Science, 10(2), 88–99. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Gomez, K. A., & Gomez, A. A. (1984). Statistical procedures for agricultural research (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Guo, Y., Zhang, H., & Chen, L. (2019). Sodium bicarbonate spray reduces fungal disease in Capsicum spp. Plant Protection Science, 55(4), 311–319. https://doi.org/10.17221/174/2018-PPS [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Gurung, T., Rai, A., & Thapa, S. (2024). Black soldier fly frass as organic manure for chili growth and soil fertility. Bioresource Technology Reports, 26, 101872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2024.101872 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Hasan, M., Rahman, M., & Islam, M. (2021). Foliar sugar application improves chili plant height and photosynthetic efficiency. Asian Journal of Plant Sciences, 20(3), 195–204. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Hernandez, J., Santos, M., & Cruz, R. (2021). Combined organic amendments suppress disease and improve plant resilience in chili. Tropical Agricultural Research, 32(2), 145–158. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Khaitov, B., Park, J., & Lee, J. (2019). Organic manure enhances soil structure and nutrient bioavailability in pepper cultivation. Agronomy, 9(12), 848. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9120848 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Lee, S., Kim, H., & Park, J. (2022). Baking soda reduces disease intensity and modifies leaf cuticle structure in chili pepper. Korean Journal of Plant Pathology, 38(1), 55–64. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Lebaka, V. R. (2023). Containerized vegetable production: Yield variability and management strategies. International Journal of Vegetable Science, 29(2), 102–115. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Liu, X., Wang, Y., & Zhao, H. (2021). Sodium bicarbonate as a foliar antifungal agent: Mechanisms and efficacy in vegetable crops. Crop Protection, 142, 105505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2021.105505 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Lopez, A., Garcia, J., & Martinez, R. (2021). Acetic acid reduces bacterial wilt incidence and induces systemic resistance in pepper. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 159(3), 621–634. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-021-02211-z [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Massimi, M. (2024). Standardized scoring scales for disease severity assessment in Capsicum. Journal of Plant Disease and Protection, 131(2), 412–418. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Patel, R., Kumar, S., & Sharma, N. (2020). Conventional disease management and the emergence of synthetic pesticide alternatives. Pest Management Science, 76(9), 2988–2999. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.5886 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Philippine Statistics Authority. (2024). Vegetables statistics of the Philippines. PSA. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Radwan, M., & Salama, A. (2006). Antimicrobial effects of acetic acid on soil-borne and foliar pathogens in pepper. Egyptian Journal of Phytopathology, 34(1), 79–91. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Rondonuwu, J., Makalew, A., & Sumual, M. (2022). Disease incidence formula and assessment methodology for field crops. Journal of Agronomy, 21(4), 230–238. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Sarma, B., Yadav, R., & Singh, R. (2021). Capsicum annuum: Nutritional profile, bioactive compounds, and agricultural significance. Food Chemistry, 340, 127993. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127993 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Shah, T., Hassan, M., & Ali, R. (2022). Sugar amendments as bio-stimulants: Effects on rhizosphere microbial activity and chili productivity. Applied Soil Ecology, 175, 104451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2022.104451 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Singh, A., & Yadav, R. (2024). Multi-ingredient organic mixture suppresses root-knot nematodes and improves chili yield. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture, 40(1), 28–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/01448765.2024.2173441 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Williams, M. (2017). Vinegar reduces bacterial wilt incidence in solanaceous crops. Crop Protection, 98, 214–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2017.04.012 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Breeding for a Greener Future: Selective Breeding and Crossbreeding Approaches to Minimize Methane Emissions in Ruminant Livestock
• Determinants of Adoption of Post-Harvest Losses Prevention Techniques among Banana/Plantain Marketers in Lagos State, Nigeria
• Enhancing Rice Yield Prediction Using UAV-Based Multispectral Imaging and Machine Learning Algorithms
• Seed-Borne Fungi of Groundnuts (Arachis Hypogaea) and Their Management with Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) Extract In Makurdi, Nigeria
• The Influence of Landforms and Slope on Agricultural Cropping Patterns in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar District