Understanding Apical Dominance and Mother Flower Removal in Capsicum Farming
A guide to apical dominance and mother flower removal in capsicum. Understand pruning, sucker management, and how to avoid stunted plants.
A farmer recently shared a photo of a stunted capsicum crop with excessive suckers and no clear main stem. On probing the recent field activities, it emerged that the mother flower had been removed a few weeks earlier. This raised concerns about two critical but often misunderstood practices in capsicum farming, apical dominance and mother flower removal.
What is apical dominance in Capsicum?
Apical dominance is the plantโs natural tendency where the main stem suppresses the growth of side shoots/suckers. This ensures the plant directs energy toward vertical growth, forming a strong central structure. Maintaining apical dominance is essential for good canopy development, prolonged harvesting, and consistent fruiting with uniform size.
Why apical dominance matters
When the main shoot remains dominant, the plant grows in an organized way, allowing for efficient nutrient use, better light penetration, and improved airflow.While some hybrid varieties have strong apical dominance and require minimal intervention, others need regular sucker removal to maintain proper structure.
Importance of pruning and sucker removal
Suckers are small shoots that emerge along the main stem, especially near the base and lower nodes. These compete with the main shoot for light and nutrients. If not removed, they lead to bushy plants with weak, unproductive growth. Early removalโideally within the first three to six weeks after transplantingโhelps preserve apical dominance and supports stronger growth and easier management.
What is the mother flower in capsicum?
The mother flower is the first flower to appear, usually at the second or third node. Though it may seem like a good sign, allowing it to develop too early can divert the plantโs energy away from root and canopy establishment. Many growers remove it if the plant is still small or not well developed.
Why and how to remove the mother flower
Removing the mother flower delays early fruiting and encourages vegetative growth. It should be done carefully by pinching off just the flower, leaving the apical tip and surrounding growth points intact. Damaging the main shoot during this process can disrupt the plant’s structure.
What happens when the apical tip is damaged
In the farmerโs case, the apical bud was likely damaged while removing the flower. This broke apical dominance and triggered multiple side shoots, leading to excessive suckering and poor vertical growth. The plant became confused.
How to correct a loss of apical dominance
If apical dominance is lost, select the strongest sucker and remove the rest. This sucker can take over as the new main stem. Though helpful, this correction often results in delayed growth and reduced uniformity.
Bonus tip
Always spray the crop with a copper-based fungicide after pruning to prevent disease pathogens from entering through pruning wounds.
Post & Photo Credit: Geoffrey Kavita
An Agronomist|Crops nutrition|Crop protection
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