Application of Hydrogel as an Irrigation Alternative for the Pepper Production System in the Santa Lucía Canton, Guayas

Abstract

The purpose of this research work is to evaluate the application of hydrogel as an irrigation alternative for the pepper production system (Capsicum annuum L.) to obtain better significant effects in the canton of Santa Lucia, Guayas, where the agronomic behavior of the crop and optimal dosage were determined.

The study factor was developed under a DBCA factorial scheme with a split-plot arrangement; the largest plot being the hydrogel doses and the smallest plot the pepper hybrids with 4 replicates per hybrid, obtaining a trial of 24 experimental units. The evaluated treatments were T1 (Absolute control with the Martha R hybrid), T2 (Absolute control with the Nathalie hybrid), T3 (1 gram of hydrogel with the Martha R hybrid), T4 (1 gram of hydrogel with the Nathalie hybrid), T5 (2 grams of hydrogel with the Martha R hybrid), and T6 (2 grams of hydrogel with the Nathalie hybrid) applying furrow irrigation at 0, 10, 25 and 40 days after transplanting along with fertilization and the absolute control once a week. Among the variables are: plant height (cm), days to flowering, days to harvest, number of fruits per plant, fruit weight (g), crop production in kg/ha and economic analysis in cost/benefit ratio. It was concluded that the best productivity obtained was treatment 5 (2 grams of hydrogel with the Martha R hybrid) presenting high averages in the agronomic variables of the crop, a weight of 479.83 grams in three harvests and a yield of 7485.27 kg/ha. The use of hydrogel is agronomically profitable since it allowed water retention and humidity in the soil for a certain time, allowing the plant to assimilate it.