Dropping of flowers from the plant before the development of fruits is a problem I observed in the chilli plants  growing in my kitchen garden. I picked up the dropped flowers to observe its stigma and pollen under foldscope. There was nothing abnormal with the pollen or the receptivity of pollen on stigma.

A Chilli flower showing pollen sticking on its stigma and style

The problem is referred to as ‘Blossom Drop’ in literature and can be due to several reasons:

• Lack of pollination
• Lack of air flow
• Over watering
• Not harvesting the pods on time
• Variable temperatures
• Over feeding

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