Hot pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is one of the major economically important horticultural crops in Tanqua-Abergelle district. However, its productivity is low mainly due to soil nutrient deficiency and the use of unappropriated rate of fertilizer Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and Sulphur (S) are the most deficient elements in the area. The experiments were designed to study the effect of NPS levels accompanied with one level of DAP as standard check (150, 200, 250 kg/ha NPS and 200 kg DAP/ha carried out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The analyzed results comprise of the yield and yield components of pepper from 2014 to 2016 under irrigation. The NPS levels significantly affected pepper fruit number per plant, total yield and marketable yields. However, on fruit length, plant height and unmarketable yields no significant differences were found. The level of 200 kg/ha NPS showed the highest marketable yield 102 qt/ha. Based on the economic feasibility 200 kg/ha of NPS fertilizer gives a significant marginal rate of return (3014%). Thus, this level had the best profitability advantage over the other treatments. Therefore, according to the yield and marginal rate of return results , using 200 kg/ha of NPS fertilizer is the optimum level of nutrient inputs in the study area. Thus, to fill the pepper production constraints resulted from nutrient deficiencies, further research on NPS combination levels, nutrient use efficiencies, nutrient uptake rate and nutrient recovery is crucial. Moreover, further research across locations and years deemed important to validate the result of this study.

Keywords: Hot pepper, NPS, DAP,Yield and Yield Components