Agronomic behavior of piquin pepper ecotypes under photoselective covers

Introduction: The use of colored shading nets and greenhouses is a strategy to improve the use of solar radiation and regulate temperature, in addition to increasing productivity in horticultural crops. Objective: To evaluate the effect of different photoselective covers on agronomic variables in wild piquin pepper ecotypes. Methodology: Microclimatic variables and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were measured from plant transplant, and agronomic variables at 40 days after transplant and at the last cut of the cycle (160 days). Results: Temperature, relative humidity and PAR changed with the use of the different covers. Blue netting reduced PAR by 50.10 % compared to the open field. Principal component analysis grouped the uncovered cultivated plants with the lowest results in the evaluated variables, and the RTZ ecotype revealed the greatest tendency towards quadrant 1, with most of the variables. The yield in the white netting increased 1 290.9 % compared to that obtained in the field. Study limitations: The study generated information only for the plant genetic resources of the Northeast Region of Mexico. Originality: The crop is not domesticated, so this work was done under different shade netting covers and a greenhouse. Conclusions:White netting favored the development of the ecotypes, with RTZ being the one that presented the best values, which is why this combination is considered viable for the preservation and production of this species on a large scale.