SPEHIA, R.S.NIDHI2018-05-222018-05-222018-03http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810047039ABSTRACT Capsicum, also popularly called as ‘Simla Mirch’ in India is one of the leading vegetables grown in open conditions as well as protected conditions, because of its economic importance as a high value vegetable crop both in domestic and overseas markets. Capsicum can be grown on a wide variety of soils, but its shallow and fibrous root system is sensitive to water logging and prone to attack by various soil borne diseases. However, the research work world over shows that sweet pepper can be grown successfully in soilless growing media but the initial investment is proving to be bottleneck in its adoption. Hence, there is an urgent need to identify cost effective soilless growing media to grow capsicum under protected conditions. Keeping this in view, the present investigation entitled “Standardisation of growing media for production of coloured capsicum under polyhouse” was conducted during 2016 and 17 at the Experimental Research Farm of Precision Farming Development Center, Department of Soil Science and Water Management of Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan. Seeds of variety Orobelle (coloured capsicum) were planted February in plug trays then transplanted in UV stabilized polybags during March, in both the years (2016-17) under polyhouse conditions. A total of 9 treatments were replicated thrice for each growing media which were as follows : T1 Cocopeat , T2 Cocopeat + Vermicompost (70:30) + Jeevamrut (5% foliar spray), T3 Cocopeat + Jeevamrut (5% foliar spray), T4 Vermiculite, T5 Vermiculite + Vermicompost (70:30) + Jeevamrut (5% foliar spray), T6 Vermiculite + Jeevamrut (5% foliar spray), T7 Sand, T8 Sand + Vermicompost (70:30) + Jeevamrut (5% foliar spray), T9 Sand + Jeevamrut (5% foliar spray) under CRD (Completely Randomised Block Design) layout design. The experimental results showed that among different combinations of growing media, maximum (119.50 cm) plant height, minimum (40.50 days) days to 50% flowering, minimum (69.17) days to marketable maturity, maximum (25.67) number of fruits per plant, maximum (207.43 g), average fruit weight, maximum (5.32 kg) fruit yield per plant, maximum (99.67 days) harvest duration were recorded in T8 (Sand + Vermicompost (70:30) + Jeevamrut (5% foliar spray)). Maximum macro and micro nutrients were also recorded under the same treatment. Highest (2.59:1) benefit cost ratio was recorded in treatment T8 (Sand + Vermicompost (70:30) + Jeevamrut (5% foliar spray)) which can be judged as the most profitable and cost effective, growing media for coloured capsicum under polyhouse condition.ennullThesis