ORGANIC FERTILIZATION: AN ALTERNATIVE TO PRODUCE JALAPEÑ O PEPPER UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during fall-winter seasons of years 2011-2012 to determine the effects of vermicompost tea (VCT) on growth and productivity of ?Hechicero? jalapeñ o pepper plants grown under organic and synthetic fertilization in greenhouse. Five different fertilization forms were applied to plants [F1 = sand + inorganic nutrient solution (control group); F2 = sand + VCT on concentration of 10%; F3 = mixture of sand + compost (ratio 1:1; v:v) + VCT on concentration of 2.5%; F4 = mixture of sand + vermicompost (ratio 1:1; v:v) + VCT on concentration of 2.5% y F5 = mixture of sand + compost + vermicompost (ratio 2:1:1; v:v:v) + VCT on concentration of 2.5%]. Treatments F4 and F5 showed an increased yield of 70 and 45% with regard to the yield obtained with F1; the F1 and F2 yields were not statistically different at the 0.05 significance level. The fruit length and the pericarp thickness were increased until 7.55 and 7.01% in F5, respectively. These results suggest that, since there were differences in yield when using the organic and inorganic nutrient source VCT combined with mixtures of sand + compost + vermicompost may be considered a successful alternative fertilizer for organic jalapeñ o pepper production in greenhouse.