USE OF ALTERNATIVE SUBSTRATES ON PRODUCTION OF PEPPER AND SWEET PEPPER SEEDLINGS

Abstract

The seedlings production with adequate quality standards requires substrates that provide chemical and physical characteristics suitable for this purpose. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate different substrates in the production of seedlings of peppers and sweet peppers. The experiment was carried out in the nursery of the State University of Mato Grosso, Campus of Nova Xavantina. For this purpose, the following compounds were compared: commercial substrate (Carolina Soil®), washed sand + carbonized rice straw + bovine manure (1:1:1 v/v/v), washed sand + carbonized rice straw + earthworm humus (1:1:1 v/v /v), Carolina Soil® + carbonized rice straw + bovine manure (1:1:1 v/v/v) and Carolina Soil® + carbonized rice straw + earthworm humus (1:1:1 v/v/v). Two experiments were carried out simultaneously, both performed in a randomized block design. The first one was carried out in factorial scheme 5 (substrates) x 2 (pepper cultivars), with four replications. The second experiment was carried out in a factorial scheme 5 (substrates) x 3 (sweet pepper cultivars), with four replications. The emergence speed index, emergency percentage, shoot height, stem diameter, number of leaves, and fresh and dry masses of shoot, root and total were evaluated. The commercial substrate Carolina Soil® was the most suitable for the production of pepper and sweet pepper seedlings, as it provided better seedling performance. As an alternative substrate, the substrate composed of commercial substrate + carbonized rice straw + bovine manure is recommended.