Nutrient management for chili pepper

IPNI-2014-CHN-CQ20

25 Mar 2015

2014 Annual Interpretive Summary


Hot chili pepper is popularly used as both a vegetable and a chili sauce after processing in the southwest China. Its growing area has expanded in recent years, especially in Chongqing. The aim of this experiment was to work out the best nutrient management practices for the chili pepper production in Chongqing. The experiment conducted in 2014 consisted of ten treatments, including four rates of N (0, 90, 180, and 270 kg N/ha), four rates of P (0, 60, 120, 180 kg P2O5/ha) and four rates of K (0, 90, 180, and 270 kg K2O/ha). All the P, and 30% of the N and K were applied basally at seeding. The rest of the N and K was split with 20% N + zero K applied 20 days after seedling transplanting, 30% N+50% K at flower initiation, 10% N+20% K after the first fruit harvest, and 10% N+0% K after the fourth fruit harvest.

Chili pepper yields were significantly increased with an increase in N and K rates, but yields responded up to 120 kg P2O5/ha. This implies that the set-optimal rates appeared proper for P, but not for N and K. The contents of vitamin C in chili pepper increased slightly with an increase in N and K rates, but the opposite effect resulted for P. Amino acids peaked at the set optimal rates of 180-120-180 kg N-P2O5-K2O. The net economic benefit with addition of N, P and K was US$2,182/ha (194%), US$901 (80%) and US$843 (35%) higher, respectively, as compared with the N, P and K omission treatments.