Resumen

NIETO-GARIBAY, Alejandra et al. El uso de compostas como alternativa ecológica parala producción sostenible del chile (capsicum annuum l.) en zonas áridas. INCI [online]. 2002, vol.27, n.8, pp.417-421. ISSN 0378-1844.

Hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most important crops in México and other countries. This crop, as many others do, faces the loss of soil fertility, one of the most serious problems in agriculture, especially in arid lands. Regarding the importance of the organic matter in soil, we carried out experiments with the variety Anaheim TMR 23® in an arid soil. Three doses of compost were applied as treatments (25, 50, and 100t·ha-1). These applications were compared with a control without compost in order to determine the doses for major production. Soil humidity, field capacity, available moisture, total porosity, apparent and real density, and permanent wilting point were evaluated. Results showed that the highest doses improved all these physical characteristics of the soil. While there were no significant differences (P=0.05) between treatments, the best yield was obtained with the treatment of 25t·ha-1. Based on the results, the latter dose is recommended for hot pepper production in arid lands. Higher doses could be useful to improve physical soil conditions in the short term.

Palabras clave : Capsicum annuum ; Composta ; Materia Orgánica ; Suelos Áridos .