Evaluación de enmiendas orgánicas: efectos en la producción y fitosanidad del cacao (theobroma cacao l.) cultivar ccn-51

Abstract

Cocoa is a tropical fruit of great economic importance for all the countries that produce it, through its production it generates employment directly and indirectly throughout its production chain. Ecuador is the fourth largest exporter of cocoa beans in the world and due to its organoleptic characteristics it leads the production of fine and aromatic cocoa in international markets. At a national level, among the main provinces that produce cocoa is the province of El Oro, which has the appropriate climatic conditions that allow it to develop its productive potential to the maximum, increasing the profitability of the crop and therefore guaranteeing a good economy for the producer. The negative side is the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals that degrade the soil, contaminate the water and put people's health at risk. This is why a proposal has arisen to counteract the negative factors by applying biochar and solid mountain microorganisms in combination with other organic amendments in order to improve the production and phytosanitary conditions of the CCN-51 cocoa crop, which is an early hybrid with high productivity. The present research was developed in the Rio Negro Site of La Victoria Parish, belonging to Santa Rosa County. The experimental design was proposed in completely randomized blocks with six treatments and one control each with ten repetitions: T1: Biocarbon (100g) + (50g) of solid mountain microorganisms; T2: Biocarbon (100g) + Fossil Shel Fluor (5g) + (50g) of solid mountain microorganisms; T3: Biocarbon (50g) + Fossil Shel Fluor (10g) + (50g) of solid mountain microorganisms; T4: Fossil Shel Fluor (10g) + (50g) of Solid Mountain Microorganisms; T5: Calcium Silicate (50g)) + (50g) of Solid Mountain Microorganisms; T6: Agricultural Lime (50g) + Biocoal (50g) + (50g) of Solid Mountain Microorganisms. The variables evaluated were: number of ears per plant (NMP), number of healthy ears (NMS), number of diseased ears (NME), ear weight (PM), fresh seed weight (PSF), number of seeds per ear (NSM), seed dry weight (PSS), ear index (IM), seed index (IS), husk index (CI), percentage of good fermentation (FB), percentage of medium fermentation (FM), percentage of slate fermentation (PF), percentage of violet fermentation (FV), percentage of mold fermentation (FMH), percentage of humidity (PDH) and yield (RTO). The data obtained were analyzed with the SPSS statistical software using the one-factor ANOVA and the Tukey test (∝=0,05). The results obtained indicate that it is very profitable to apply biocoal in combination with solid mountain microorganisms to promote the availability of the necessary nutrients for plant development. The organic amendments based on silicon strengthen the cell wall thus generating resistance to the plant against the attack of pests and diseases, also reduces water stress allowing you to have an increase in their performance which translates into profits for the farmer. In the one-factor ANOVA test it shows that there is significant difference for the NMS, NME, IM, PDH and RTO variable. The T1 and T2 with (59.10 and 53.59 qq/ha/year) respectively show the highest averages in production and also the best phytosanitary condition, leaving evidence that biochar enhances the effect of organic amendments that accompany it, also improves soil health when applied in an edaphic way and increases the reserve of nutrients in the root zone of the plant, which facilitates the absorption for an optimal production. T4 obtained the lowest average in RTO, NMP and NMS. In the cutting test to evaluate the physical quality of the almonds, the highest percentage of good fermentation (BF) obtained T4 (92.6%), which indicates that it is within the range allowed by the chocolate industry, however it obtained (0.9%) of HF; the Control obtained (9.5%) in medium fermentation (MF); FP the Control with (0.3%); VF the Control with (1.2%). In conclusion, the application of biochar + MMS improves the production and phytosanitary of the crop and has a low nutritional cost per hectare of $ 113.32 and a benefit of $ 4725.5 compared to other treatments demonstrating that these two amendments are effective and low cost to be applied in a cocoa plantation.