Peanut shells (Arachis hypogaea) as a substrate for habanero pepper producction

Abstract

Peanut shell (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an abundant agroindustrial byproduct in various regions of Mexico, which, given its porosity and low specific weight, its use as a substrate is suggested. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the particle size of the peanut shell and its combination with peat, on the development and production of the habanero pepper crop. The treatments studied consisted of particles smaller than 3 mm, larger than 3 mm, a mixture of particles larger than 3 mm with Peat moss in a 1:1 (v/v) proportion, as well as a combination of Peat moss and vermiculite in a 1:1 (v/v) proportion as a control. The same ones whose physical and chemical characteristics were determined, were placed in containers with a capacity of five liters and established in a greenhouse, under a completely random design, to transplant and let habanero pepper plants grow, to which the height and diameter of the stem and yield and quality of the fruit were measured. The results obtained show that particles smaller than 3 mm or, failing that, larger than 3 mm mixed with Peat moss, with physical characteristics of 77.69-81.68% total porosity (Pt), 32.36-36.01% aeration porosity (Pai), 42.11-49.32% moisture retention porosity (Prh), 0.09-0.15 g cm^-3 of apparent density (Da), 5.42-5.45 pH and 0.96-1.39 dS m^-1 electrical conductivity (CE), present values in plant development, yield and fruit quality similar to the control, confirming its potential as a substrate.