The study was conducted to assess consumers’ preference and willingness to pay for different pepper varieties in Osun State, Nigeria. The study used the major pepper types – Capsicum chinenses (Rodo), C. annum (Tatase), C. frutescens (Sombo) and C. pubescens (Bawa), being sold in the markets in Osun State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to collect data from 100 respondents. The primary data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study showed that consumers mostly preferred and were willing to pay more for C. chinenses (Rodo) than any other types of pepper. Household size, primary occupation, total household income, availability and meal-making ability of pepper were the factors that influenced consumers’ preference for the different varieties of pepper while the willingness to pay for pepper varieties by consumers was influenced by affordability, availability, taste and thickness. The study recommends that since availability and affordability influenced preference and willingness to pay for pepper varieties, policies should be aimed at increasing farmers’ production as this will ensure that pepper is readily available and affordable for consumers.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of vermicompost application on the growth of pepper seedlings. Fertilizer doses and application time applied to plants are among the most important factors affecting seedling quality in seedling production. Vermicompost products have many advantages from plant development to soil regulating effects, antioxidant effect and the use of all kinds of wastes (plant, animal, industrial, etc.) in production. Seedling mortar (70% peat and 30% perlite), which was constituted in the study, constituted the control group of the study. Pepper seedlings were grown by adding different doses of vermicompost (5, 10, 20%) to this control group. The properties of the vermicompost used were pH: 7.5, EC: 2.15 dS m-1, C / N: 18.71, organic matter: 64%, N: 1.25%, K2O: 1.02%, P2O5: 0.55 %). In the study, full fertilizer (EC: 1) dose and semi fertilizer (EC: 2) dose were applied in fertilization. Köylüm pepper varieties was used in the study. Total output rate (%), stem length (cm), stem diameter (mm), number of leaves (number), stem length (cm), wet and dry leaf weight (g), wet and dry body weight (g), wet and dry root weight (g) properties were determined. According to the control group, 10 and 20% vermicompost application of pepper seedlings wet weight, dry body weights and wet and dry root dry weights were statistically increased. The first emergence of plant seedlings and their marketable times were withdrawn early by vermicompost application. At the end of the study, it was determined that some of the properties examined with vermicompost application to control mortar increased. Vermicompost application showed good performance in working as an organic fertilizer that can be mixed with peat and perlite mixture.

This trial was realized in the greenhouses of Uludag University Yenisehir Vocational School between 2009 and 2010 to investigate effects of water deficit on yield and quality parameters of pepper during four crop growth stages. In this study, fourteen irrigation treatments in four growth periods (vegetative, flowering, yield formation and ripening) of pepper (Capsicum annuum l. Demre) were constituted and the yield and quality parameters found from these treatments were evaluated. The layout of the experiment was a completely randomized block design with three replications for each of the fourteen irrigation treatments tested. According to the content of the treatments, the irrigation amount water applied to the plants varied between 0 and 744 mm in the first year, and between 0 and 750 mm in the second year. Water consumption of pepper in the first year ranged between 320 and 760 mm and in the second year ranged between 330 and 770 mm. Yield, fruit weight, diameter, length and dry matter ratio were determined statistically significant. In 2009 and 2010 years, the maximum yield were found as 26.2 t ha-1 and 27.8 t ha-1 in V100F100Y100R100 treatments, while the minimum yield were found as 0.2 t ha-1 and 0.3 ha-1 in the V0F0Y0R0 treatments, respectively. Water- yield relationship factors (ky) in 2009 and 2010 years were found as 1.29 and 1.24, respectively. The maximum WUE and IWUE values were obtained from vegetative and ripening periods. Vegetative and ripening periods may be suggested as the maximum efficient irrigation periods for the pepper applied with drip irrigation under unheated greenhouse conditions.

Heavy metal pollution is a significant environmental problem with negative potential impacts on agriculture and human health. In this study, calluses were obtained by using in vitro germinated hypocotyl explants of pepper seedlings and cell suspensions were prepared from these calluses. The effect of silver nitrate (AgNO3) solution added in different concentrations and times to cell suspension cultures of pepper on total protein and total phenolic compound amounts, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase enzyme activities were analysed. Total protein and total phenolic amounts, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase enzyme activities were detected by spectrophotometric methods. When the effects of silver metal on pepper plant were examined, it was determined that silver metal reduced the total protein and phenolic content in the pepper plant cells and especially at higher concentration, in the first 24 hour period, antioxidant enzyme activities increased.

The escalating global population, diminishing agricultural lands, and the overarching global climate crisis are significantly impacting pepper cultivation. These challenges exacerbate the vulnerability of pepper plants to various biotic and abiotic factors, particularly viral diseases, resulting in diminished yield and quality. Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), a notable concern for peppers in the Solanaceae family, is causing substantial quality and yield losses, with no effective chemical control methods currently available. This study focuses on exploring the genetic structure of CMV isolates obtained from pepper production areas in Kilis province and comparing these regions through the High-Resolution Melting (HRM) method. CMV isolates, cultivated in tobacco plants, have their partial coat protein sequences compared with those of other CMV isolates registered in the gene bank. The nucleotide sequences of identified CMV isolates are phylogenetically grouped and compared using an HRM graph. The HRM graph effectively distinguishes Kilis 3 and Kilis 4 isolates, clustered similarly to sequence patterns, from other isolates. The study highlights the utility of HRM analyses in identifying differences between isolates before determining sequence patterns. In the gene bank comparison, Kilis CMV isolates distinguished from others. Similarities were observed with isolates from Iran's Balsam (Impatiens balsamina - LC066478), Türkiye's Radish (Raphanus sativus - LC0665051), and Wild Turnip (Rapistrum rugosum - LC066514, LC066511, LC066517). The study found that Kilis 7 CMV isolate, transferred mechanically to 24 different pepper genotypes (C. annuum) from the local population, revealed susceptibility to CMV in the 24 lines developed from the Elbeyli population in Kilis province.