Aplicación de Fertilizantes sobre el Desarrollo y Productividad del Ají Cubanela (Capsicum annuum) en República Dominicana
Chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) production is constrained by low-fertility soils, inadequate agronomic management, and biotic and abiotic stress. This study evaluated the ef fect of chemical and organic fertilization on the growth, yield, and profitability of the Cubanela chili pepper variety under sandy loam soil conditions in Los Cajuiles, Santiago Rodríguez, Dominican Republic, during 2022–2023. A randomized complete block design with three treatments and five replications was used: an untreated control, chemical fertilization (15-15-15) and organic fertilization with humic acid. Growth, yield, and economic variables were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s test at the 95% confidence level. Chemical fertilization significantly enhanced vegetative and reproductive development, resulting in plants 84 cm tall, stem diameters of 11.1 mm, a greater number of flowers and fruits per plant, and longer (103 mm) and heavier (31.66 g) fruits. Total yield was highest under chemical fertilization (19 615 kg ha-1), followed by organic fertilization (13 819 kg ha-1) and the control (9 067 kg ha-1). Organic fertilization also improved growth and yield compared with the control, demonstrating its potential as a sustainable management strategy, although its ef fects were less pronounced than those of chemical fertilization. The highest benefit-cost ratio was obtained with chemical fertilization (US$5.01 per dollar invested), followed by organic fertilization (US$4.39 per dollar invested) and the control (US$1.39 per dollar invested), reflecting the greater productive and economic ef ficiency of mineral fertilization under the conditions evaluated. These results indicate that chemical fertilization maximizes the yield and profitability of Cubanela chili pepper grown on low-fertility soils, whereas organic fertilization with humic acid represents a viable alternative for production systems seeking greater sustainability without substantially reducing crop competitiveness.