Influencia de la fertilización en la producción y calidad de la pitahaya (Selenicereus undatus) en el Ecuador.

The pitahaya is an exotic fruit, whose cultivation in our country, in recent years, has reached significant importance, both in the local market and for export, being its main claimants the USA, Japan, and the countries of the European Union. All regions of Ecuador have proven to be good producers, being able to mention Palora, in the East, Pichincha in the Serranía, Guayas, Manabí, and El Oro on the coast. The present research work called Influence of fertilization on the production and quality of the pitahaya (Selenicereus undatus) in Ecuador, was carried out from the definition of the general and specific objectives focused on the characteristics of the crop and the levels of fertilization applied outside and inside the country. A broad theoretical support was presented, product of research and experiences already carried out inside and outside the country, which were collected and expressed in this thesis in a methodological way, describing and explaining everything concerning this subject, and for which the techniques used were bibliographic consultations, degree theses, specialized web portals, technical publications in high-impact journals. In terms of results, conclusions and recommendations, fertilization with nitrogen divided into four doses of 0; 40; 80 or 120 kg/ha, or the level of 80 kg/ha of nitrogen is best suited in a fertilization program. The application of phosphorus at levels of 0; 20 and 40 kg of P205/ha, or a level of 20 kg/ha of phosphorus is most appropriate in a fertilization program. The application of potassium and other micronutrients is recommended when preparing the soil for planting so that they contribute, mainly, to the quality of the fruit.

The pitahaya is an exotic fruit, whose cultivation in our country, in recent years, has reached significant importance, both in the local market and for export, being its main claimants the USA, Japan, and the countries of the European Union. All regions of Ecuador have proven to be good producers, being able to mention Palora, in the East, Pichincha in the Serranía, Guayas, Manabí, and El Oro on the coast. The present research work called Influence of fertilization on the production and quality of the pitahaya (Selenicereus undatus) in Ecuador, was carried out from the definition of the general and specific objectives focused on the characteristics of the crop and the levels of fertilization applied outside and inside the country. A broad theoretical support was presented, product of research and experiences already carried out inside and outside the country, which were collected and expressed in this thesis in a methodological way, describing and explaining everything concerning this subject, and for which the techniques used were bibliographic consultations, degree theses, specialized web portals, technical publications in high-impact journals. In terms of results, conclusions and recommendations, fertilization with nitrogen divided into four doses of 0; 40; 80 or 120 kg/ha, or the level of 80 kg/ha of nitrogen is best suited in a fertilization program. The application of phosphorus at levels of 0; 20 and 40 kg of P205/ha, or a level of 20 kg/ha of phosphorus is most appropriate in a fertilization program. The application of potassium and other micronutrients is recommended when preparing the soil for planting so that they contribute, mainly, to the quality of the fruit.

La pitahaya es una fruta exótica, cuyo cultivo en nuestro país, en los últimos años, ha alcanzado significativa importancia, tanto en el mercado local como para exportar, siendo sus principales demandantes EE.UU, Japón, y los países de la Unión Europea. Todas las regiones de Ecuador han demostrado ser buenas productoras, pudiendo citar a Palora, en el Oriente, Pichincha en la Serranía, Guayas, Manabí, y El Oro en la costa. El presente trabajo de investigación denominado Influencia de la fertilización en la producción y calidad de la pitahaya (Selenicereus undatus) en el Ecuador, fue llevado a partir de la definición de los objetivos general y específicos centrados en las características del cultivo y los niveles de fertilización aplicados fuera y dentro del país. Se expuso un amplio sustento teórico, producto de investigaciones y experiencias ya realizadas dentro y fuera del país, las cuales fueron recogidas y expresadas en esta tesina de manera metodológica, describiendo y explicando todo lo concerniente a esta temática, y para lo cual las técnicas utilizadas fueron consultas bibliográficas, tesis de grado, portales web especializados, publicaciones técnicas en revistas de alto impacto En cuanto a resultados, conclusiones y recomendaciones, la fertilización con nitrógeno repartido en cuatro dosis de 0; 40; 80 o 120 kg/ha, o el nivel de 80 kg./ha de nitrógeno es lo más adecuado en un programa de fertilización. La aplicación de fósforo en niveles de 0; 20 y 40 kg de P205/ha, o un nivel de 20 kg./ha de fósforo es lo más adecuado en un programa de fertilización. Se recomienda la aplicación de potasio y otros micronutrientes al momento de preparar el suelo para la siembra para que estos contribuyan, principalmente, en la calidad de la fruta.