Efecto del fertirriego en el cultivo de pimiento (capsicum annum l.) bajo dos sistemas de riego en invernadero

Abstract

The present research work was carried out in the area of the Santa Inés Experimental Farm, which belongs to the Universidad técnica de Machala, province of El Oro, from November 2023 to January 2024. Ecuador is a mostly agricultural country with a semiarid climate, facing the challenge of optimizing the use of water in agriculture. With about half of the irrigated area actually being irrigated, the need to increase agricultural production to meet the demand of a growing population is evident.Fertigation is presented as an advanced technique that merges fertilization and irrigation,improving the efficiency of nutrient use, particularly in the cultivation of peppers. In the South American context, pepper production in Ecuador and other countries stands out, although the lack of significant advances in research and technological development in this area poses challenges. Greenhouses are emerging as key tools for optimising growing conditions, offering maximum yields and protection against pests and diseases. Adapting the frequency of irrigation according to the method used, considering factors such as soil type, climate and water losses between periods, is an essential practice in the management of water resources. The aim of this experiment was to test the effect of fertigation on morphoagronomic parameters of pepper cultivation under greenhouses. The experimental design to be used was a completely randomized complete factorial experiment (EFCCA) without fractionation, with three replications, two irrigation systems: drip and micro-sprinkler. The variables that were evaluated in the study are the following: Plant height (cm), number of fruits per plant, fruit weight (g), fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (mm) and yield (kg/ha). Irrigation is carried out every two days in treatment 1 and every four days in treatment 2, taking into account the needs of the crop. The research highlights the crucial influence of irrigation frequency on pepper cultivation. It is evident that the drip irrigation system with an interval of 2 days (T1) favors the growth of the plants, resulting in greater height and a significant number of fruits per plant (average of 9 fruits). In addition, when compared to the micro-sprinkler system (T2), it is shown that the drip irrigation system outperforms in several aspects, including weight, length and diameter of the fruit. The yield results support the effectiveness of the drip irrigation system, with significantly higher yield compared to the micro-sprinkler system. These findings confirm the hypothesis that the frequency and type of irrigation system directly impact the productivity of the pepper crop under greenhouses.