MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF DRY PEPPER cv. ‘MIRASOL’

Abstract

The production of dry pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is based on the application of large amounts of water and both itinerant and intensive land use. Therefore, new cropland areas are being used to solve problems associated with low soil productivity, soil contamination and plant disease. The sustainability of this crop must be focused toward new crop management systems and efficient irrigation management strategies. In this study we measured the effect of three crop management systems and two irrigation methods on fruit yield, fruit quality, water productivity and disease incidences of dry pepper cv. ‘Mirasol’. The crop systems resulted from the combination of green manure incorporation into the soil, and inorganic or organic amendment applications for fertilizing and pest control. The crop systems were: conventional, intermediate and organic. The levels of irrigation methods were: full irrigation and partial rootzone drying (PRD). The lowest fruit yield was obtained in the organic crop system, but this also produced a higher proportion of the best two fruit quality categories and less proportion of blemished fruit. The lowest pepper wilt (Phytophthora capsici) incidence was observed in the intermediate crop system, whilst the lowest water productivity was observed in the organic crop system. The PRD produced less percentage of blemished fruit, increased water productivity and reduced the pepper wilt incidence, but it reduced fruit yield; in addition, the PRD reduced the irrigation water by 25%.