Dynamics of Nutrient Demand and Uptake with Chemical Fertilization Levels on Dry Matter Accumulation and Yield of Escabeche Chili Pepper

The nutrient uptake curve identifies the nutrient supply that the plant demands and improves the fertilization programmer of the crop. The objective of this study was to determine the yield, dry matter production and macro and micronutrient uptake of escabeche chili pepper. A randomized block design with four replicates and four fertilization levels (kg ha-1 of NPK): T0 (0-0-0), T1 (100-50–150), T2 (150-100-200), T3 (200-150-250). It has been shown that dry matter accumulation occurred from 72 to 180 days after transplanting (DAT) 48% in stem, 30% leaf and 22% in fruit. A significant effect was found in the T3 which reported higher macro and micronutrient uptake and yield (59.79 t ha-1). Our study showed that in order to obtain this high yield, the escabeche chili pepper plant absorbed 201; 24,44; 331,7; 108,66; 31,03; 28,72; 9,93; 1,96; 1,72; 1,39 y 1,23 kg ha-1 de N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, B, Cu, Mn and Zn respectively. Therefore, it was found that the most suitable time for plants to find a higher availability of nutrients in the soil is from 72 to 180 DAT, in addition, the uptake pattern allows understanding nutritional demands and improving fertilizer management to increase yields without altering soil fertility and prevent both nutrient deficiency and excess, thus minimizing environmental impact and encouraging sustainable agriculture.