MACRONUTRIENT REQUIREMENT IN PEPPER PLANTS (Capsicum annuum L.)

The nutrient removal determines the amount of nutrients extracted from a plant, it can be determined in a given phenological stage or through the growing season. This is a way to establish how much fertilizer should be applied to pepper crops by calculating the amount of nutrients required by the plant to express an expected yield, therefore, the required quantity of nutrients to produce a ton of fresh fruit should be a known fact. Current literature about the amount of nutrients removed pepper crop per ton of harvested fresh fruit was reviwedas well as plant parts not intended to be consumed (foliage, stems, roots), namely, the specific nutritional requirements of pepper, the distribution of nutrients in the plant organs was also reviewed, as well as how this is influenced by differences in production technology, yield level and soil conditions. It was found that the extraction and nutritional requirements in pepper varied by: varieties, types of peppers (jalapeno, sweet, bell pepper), organ sampled and production systems. According to the results found in this review, it can be ensured that the specific nutritional requirements of pepper cultivation as a basis for calculating rates of fertilization, is as it follows (in kg.t(-1)): Nitrogen (N), 2.4 - 4.0; Phosphorus (P2O5), 0.4 - 1.0; Potassium (K2O), 3.4 - 5.29, Calcium (CaO): 0.55 - 1.80 and Magnesium (MgO), 0.28 to 0.49.