Bell pepper yield as a function of an alternative source of organic matter

Abstract

For a good development and a consequently high production, the bell pepper requires, among other conditions, satisfactory levels of soil fertility. In this perspective, this work aimed to evaluate the parameters of production and productivity of the bell pepper cultivar ‘Casca Dura Ikeda’ cultivated in field conditions, with different doses of buriti stem, in Bom Jesus, Piauí. The experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Department of the Campus Professora Cinobelina Elvas of the Federal University of Piauí (CPCE/UFPI). The experimental design was in randomized blocks with treatments distributed in plots referring to organic fertilization. There were five (5) doses of buriti stem (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 t ha-1) plus an additional treatment (bovine manure and NPK mineral fertilizer), with four replications and an experimental unit consisting of twenty plants. The following variables were analyzed: number of fruits per plant, mean fruit length, basal diameter, mean thickness of the fruit pulp, mean fruit weight, production, and yield. We concluded that the yield attributes of the bell pepper cv. ‘Casca Dura Ikeda’ are influenced by organic fertilization, and production is increased by the buriti stem doses of 20 t ha-1 and 30 t ha-1 and by the use of the combination of manure and mineral fertilizer.