NUTRIENT SOLUTION ADDED WITH NH4+ FOR HYDROPONIC PRODUCTION OF HUACLE CHILI PEPPER (Capsicum annuum L.)

Abstract

Huacle chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), the main ingredient of mole, an essential dish in Oaxacan food and intangible cultural heritage of humanity, is in danger of extinction; thus, it is necessary to promote its cultivation by improving production practices. The addition of NH₄⁺ in the nutrient solution increases the growth and yield of crops, but at high concentrations it causes toxicity. This study evaluated the yield and quality of two populations of Huacle chili pepper (Rojo and Negro) and three levels of NH₄⁺ concentrations (0, 1.5 and 3.0 meq L^-1) in the Steiner nutrient solution, resulting in six treatments. The treatments were evaluated under a completely randomized design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement and 10 replications. The experimental unit was a container with 10 L of the substrate and one plant. Significant differences between populations in yield and the number of fruits per plant were detected. There were no differences among the NH₄⁺ concentrations for any of the evaluated traits, nor in the interaction between the studied factors. However, differences were observed for the combination between the Negro population and the NH₄⁺ concentration of 3.0 meq L^-1; the highest production and number of fruits per plant were obtained at this concentration.