The Effect of Locally Produced Organic Substrates on Germination and Development of Habanero Pepper (Capsicum chinensis Jacq.) Seedlings

Habanero pepper (Capsicum chinensis Jacq.), the culturally most relevant horticultural crop of the Yucatan Peninsula, has a rising commercial potential. In the state of Quintana Roo, production has increased 137 times since the year 2000. Thanks to this boom, there is also a growing market interest for organically grown habaneros. Greenhouse and small-scale outdoors producers face several limitations in meeting this demand:  low productivity, lack of capacitated staff, few certification organizations, and weakly developed networks with potential buyers abroad. The most limiting factors are high prices and restricted access to commercial organic products and pepper seedlings. Costly conventional seedlings, which growers have to buy in remote cities, commonly show low quality. Some producers elaborate their own substrates using local soils; including clay rich oxisols, poor in organic matter but with favorable water retention and sandier vertisols, containing more organic matter but easily drying out. However, both are poor in macronutrients and boron and result in unsatisfying germination rates of less than 80%. In 2011 a trial in José María Morelos, in central Yucatan Peninsula, evaluated the effect of eight different substrates (made of local low-cost materials) on habanero pepper seedling (variety ‘Jaguar’). All compared substrates contained a 50 Vol. % vertisol. The other 50% differed per variant: 1) 50% vertisol; 2) 25% vertisol and 25% ash; 3) 25% vertisol and 25% cow manure; 4) 25% cow manure and 25% ash; 5) 50% oxisol; 6) 25% oxisol and 25% ash; 7) 25% vertisol, 12.5%  oxisol and 12.5% cow manure; and 8) 25% oxisol, 12.5% cow manure and 12.5% ash. Seedlings were grown in a plastic greenhouse. Temperature was held constant at 30 °C. 100-cell seedling trays were used (45 mm depth). Irrigation was manual. Pest prevention was achieved using a garlic extract and establishing repellent plants. Fungi prevention was based on copper-containing treatments. The evaluation was based on germination rate, leaf and root development. Results showed satisfactory seedling output in the variants with vertisol soils combined with ash and mixed with oxisol; both with a germination rate of 100%. Substrates containing ash and oxisol tended to have a positive effect on germination; those with manure underperformed. For organic producers of habanero pepper seedlings, which can’t rely on costly commercial products, substrates based on local vertisols and easily available ingredients are a promising alternative. Ash is a recommendable component. Cow manure should not be used.