Evaluation of the growth, yield and nutritional quality of pepper fruit with the application of Quitomax®

Abstract

The consumption of vegetables as a source of vital nutrients is very important for human health. In the present work, the effects of the application of several concentrations of Quitomax® and a control treatment on the growth, yield and nutritional value of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L. variety Lical) fruit were evaluated. The treatments consisted of the foliar application of Quitomax® at 200, 300 and 400 mg ha^-1 20 days after transplantation. A randomized block design with four replicates per treatment was applied. The number of fruit harvested as well as their length and width, the fresh mass of the fruit, the thicknesses of the mesocarps, the mass of the peduncles with seeds, the yield, the nutritional quality including the soluble solid, vitamin C, carotenoid, and polyphenol content and the antioxidant activity of the fruit were evaluated. Quitomax at a concentration of 300 mg ha^-1 produced significantly more pepper fruit with the largest dimensions and highest fruit mass, yield and antioxidant activity than all other treatments. Therefore, Quitomax can be used as a promissory stimulant for bell pepper crops.