Sweet pepper hybrids performance under greenhouse cultivation in Vale do Ribeira, Sao Paulo State, Brazil

Abstract

The sweet pepper is one of the ten vegetables with greatest economic expression in Brazil. The production areas are spread all over the national territory, but the ones in the Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais State are owned of the greater national output. The Vale do Ribeira region was identified in the 80's as a promising area for sweet pepper production due to the possibility to grow them all the year round. However, it is observed a decrease in the cultivation area and foremost in its productivity. From 1984 to 2010, the cultivation area has decreased from 33 to 12 hectares of sweet pepper and the productivity from 18,660 kg ha(-1) to 11,200 kg ha(-1). Given that background, the aim of this research was to identify the best sweet pepper hybrids for the soil and weather conditions of this region. The experiment was performed in greenhouses of the Registro Experimental Campus, of the University of Sao Paulo, in Registro-SP, located in 24 degrees 32'05''S and 47 degrees 51'40''W, from December, 2011 to July, 2012. A randomized block experimental design was performed, with 13 treatments and 3 replications. The hybrids (treatments) were red and yellow colored. The cultivation was made in plastic pots of 13 dm(3) with substrate (coconut husk fiber), holding one plant per pot and positioned in simple lines. The spacing was 1.0 m between lines and 0.5 m between plants. The fertigation was performed through drip irrigation with the appropriate nutrient solution. The plants were managed with four stems and harvests performed when fruits presented 70% of their coloring. Six agronomic characteristics were evaluated and an economic analysis was also performed. The means were submitted to the variance analysis through F test and compared by Scott-Knott test at 5% probability. There was a statistical difference among the hybrids (treatments) for all evaluated characteristics except for the placenta fresh mass. The hybrids Red Bell Square Pepper 05PIM00047, TPC 11173, Red Conic Pepper 05PIM0055, Yellow Lamuyo 08PIM00133 and Yellow Bell Square Pepper 07PIM00104 are the most promising varieties to the cultivation in greenhouse in the Vale do Ribeira lands. The hybrid of red fruit that presented the greatest net revenue was the Red Conic Pepper 05PIM0055 and Yellow Lamuyo 05PIM00030.