Respuesta del cultivo de acelga (Beta vulgaris var. Cicla) a la fertilización orgánica.

Abstract

This study was carried out in the canton of El Carmen, province of Manabí, with the general objective of determining the response of chard cultivation (Beta vulgaris var. Cicla) to organic fertilization. A completely randomized experimental design was used, with three repetitions, which allowed for an effective evaluation of the different treatments applied. The variables considered in the trial included plant height and the number of harvested leaves, and three types of biofertilizers were applied: Enhanced Biol, Black Earth, and Earthworm Humus, at two dose levels (0.5 L and 1.5 L), in addition to a control without fertilization. The results showed that the Enhanced Biol and Black Earth achieved significant growth in plant height, reaching averages of 41.94 cm and 41.87 cm, respectively, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) compared to the control. However, no significant differences were found in the number of harvested leaves among the treatments, suggesting that organic fertilization influences vertical growth more than leaf production. These findings highlight the importance of appropriately selecting biofertilizers to optimize the yield of chard cultivation under organic conditions.