Application of CO2 through water reduces the soil solution pH, causing variations in nutrient mobility and consequent effects on the absorption. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of carbon dioxide rates supplied by drip irrigation in the production of Capsicum frutescens L. crop. A randomized block design with four treatments and eight replications was used. The treatments were four rates of CO2:0 (T1), 451.95 (T2); 677.93 (T3) and 903.92 (T4) kg ha-1. The fruits were counted and weighed; the length and the diameter were obtained from an average of 20 fruits per plant, randomly taken, from each treatment in the plot. The quadratic effect (p < 0.01) occurred for CO2 on the yield and there was quadratic effect (p < 0.05) of the rates on the number of fruits. There were no effects of CO2 rates on the green matter, dry matter and fruit length and diameter. The T2 treatment provided greater yield and higher number of fruits per plant with an increase of 16 and 26%, respectively in relation to T1 (without CO2). CO2 application favored the increase in the yield because of the greater number of fruits per plant in the Tabasco pepper crop.
Capsicum frutescens L.; carbon dioxide; drip irrigation
