Molecular Plant Breeding 2025, Vol.16, No.5, 294-302 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/mpb 298 6.2 Multi-criteria assessment of fertilization regime performance Different fertilization methods need to strike a balance among yield, pungency and disease resistance. 100% organic fertilizer, or a model with half organic fertilizer and half chemical fertilizer, can achieve high yield and quality in various types of chili peppers (Stan et al., 2021; Güneş et al., 2023). The combined use of bio-organic fertilizer, microbial agents and lime can not only increase yield and fruit quality, but also improve soil nutrients and microbial networks, making plants healthier (Gao et al., 2020; Sini et al., 2024; Zhang et al., 2024). Reducing the application of chemical fertilizers by 20% to 40% before harvest often does not lower the yield. Instead, it can increase capsaicin and flavor substances, and at the same time improve the efficiency of fertilizer utilization (Wang et al., 2022). 6.3 Potential for optimizing organic nutrient strategies for balanced quality and resilience Optimizing organic nutrition management can simultaneously enhance the quality and stress resistance of Hangjiao pepper. The combined use of organic fertilizer, bio-fertilizer and straw can improve the structure of soil microorganisms, increase nutrient utilization rate and enhance plant health (Gao et al., 2020; Sini et al., 2024). Precise control of the application amounts of key elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to avoid excess can stabilize the yield and improve capsaicin and disease resistance (Stan et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2022; Vadillo et al., 2024) In the future, multi-index optimization research should be strengthened to find the organic nutrient combination suitable for Hangjiao pepper, and achieve the organic cultivation goals of high yield, high quality and high resistance. 7 Case Study: Field Evaluation of Fertilization Regimes in Organic Hangjiao Pepper 7.1 Study location, soil conditions, and organic certification background This case study was carried out in Lintao County, Gansu Province, China. It is a typical vegetarian-growing area and already has a foundation for organic agriculture certification. The experimental site was loam with medium fertility. The previous crop was also vegetables. Organic management has been carried out for many consecutive years without the use of chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizers, meeting the requirements of organic certification (Bakpa et al., 2021). Some experiments were also conducted on mountain and sandy soils to compare the effects of different soils on the growth and quality of Hangjiao pepper (Liu et al., 2020). 7.2 Experimental treatments, measurement of pungency, and disease resistance scoring The experiment set up a variety of organic fertilization schemes, including amino acid water-soluble fertilizers of different concentrations (1.8, 2.7, 3.6 kg/mu), bio-organic fertilizers with Trichoderma guizhouense NJAU4742 as the core, organic fertilizers combined with corn stalks, and poultry manure combined with corn stalks. And combinations of microbial agents and lime, etc. (Liu et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2024). The pungency was evaluated by the contents of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in the fruit (Bakpa et al., 2021). Disease resistance is scored based on the incidence of field diseases and soil microbial diversity indicators, with a focus on the inhibitory effect of soil-borne diseases (Gao et al., 2020). 7.3 Results and farmer perspectives on practical applicability The results showed that low-concentration amino acid water-soluble fertilizer (1.8 kg/ mu) could significantly increase the pungency of Hangjiao pepper (capsaicin content up to 5.80 mg/g), while increasing soluble protein, vitamin C and fruit quality (Bakpa et al., 2021). The combination of poultry manure and corn stalks not only increases yield, but also enhances soil microbial diversity and disease resistance, and reduces soil-borne diseases (Gao et al., 2020). Bio-organic fertilizer (Trichoderma guizhouense NJAU4742) can significantly increase yield (by 41.8% to 52.3%) under different soil types, and promote soil enzyme activity and nutrient transformation (Figure 2) (Liu et al., 2020). Farmers generally feedback that the scheme of low-concentration amino acid fertilizer and organic fertilizer combined with straw is convenient to operate, has moderate cost, and can also improve the quality and disease resistance of Hangjiao pepper. It is suitable for field promotion.
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