PRODUÇÃO DE PIMENTA DEDO-DE-MOÇA EM FUNÇÃO DE DOSES DE HIDROGEL E TURNOS DE IRRIGAÇÃO

Abstract

A viable alternative for reducing water consumption in irrigation is the use of hydrogels. Hydrogels are water holder polymers capable of absorbing and retaining large amounts of water, and are used as a viable alternative to improve water storage near the soil. However, instructions on crop management with the use of hydrogels in crops are still scarce in the specialized literature, making it necessary to study the accuracy and feasibility of using this methodology to aid irrigation management for different crops. In this sense, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of variations of hydrogel doses and irrigation shifts in the “dedo-de-moça” pepper crop. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse located in the experimental area of Goiano Federal Institute - Ceres (IF Goiano). The variables analyzed were: soil moisture, plant height, stem diameter, productivity, number of fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter and bark thickness. A randomized complete block design was used, with a plot subdivided in the space, as one attestant and three hydrogel doses in four irrigation shifts. After data analysis, it was verified that the use of hydrogel doses in the substrate of the pepper plants provided a significant increase both in the quantity of fruits and in the total production. The maximum production occurred with the dose of 30g of hydrogel per pot with irrigation shift every 4 days.