Produção de pimenta ornamental em diferentes substratos e tamanhos de vasos

Abstract

Floriculture is an activity of great relevance in Brazil, significantly contributing to jobcreation and income generation. Traditionally, the flower market in the country has focusedon the trade of specific flower species. It is essential to consider diversifying this market, bothfrom a strategic production perspective and for the introduction of differentiated products. Inthis scenario, ornamental pepper cultivars can be an excellent option, as they offer theversatility of being cultivated and sold in pots. In this context, the objective was to evaluatethe effect of different substrates and pot sizes on the production of potted ornamental pepperplants in Chapecó-SC. The experiment was conducted in the agricultural greenhouse of theFederal University of the Southern Frontier, Chapecó Campus, in a randomized block design,in a 3 x 3 factorial scheme (pot sizes and substrate types), with 4 repetitions. Seeds of theornamental pepper cultivar Stromboli (Capsicum frutescens) and three pot sizes were used:N° 13 (725 mL), N° 14 (1 L), and N° 15 (1.16 L). The substrates used were Carolina Soil®,Mecplant®, and Garden Plus®. The evaluations included plant height, number of leaves perplant, stem diameter, leaf area, number of fruits per plant, fruit size, dry plant mass, andornamental quality. The results were subjected to analysis of variance and mean comparisonusing the Tukey test (p<0.05). The results demonstrate interference due to the differentcompositions, physical and chemical characteristics of the substrates, and the different potsizes used, indicating the superiority of the Garden Plus® substrate. In summary, the pot sizesthat stood out for the analyzed variables were pot 13 (P13) and pot 14 (P14). These results arepromising, as the possibility of cultivation in smaller pots increases the efficiency of theproduction system, with lower substrate, input, and water consumption. It also allows for theallocation of a greater number of pots per m2 of greenhouse, thereby enhancing theprofitability of the production system.