Manure Effect on Soil–Plant Interactions in Capia Pepper Crops under Semiarid Climate Conditions

Abstract

One of the biggest threats to agro-ecosystems, especially in arid and semiarid areas, is the deterioration of soil quality, which is associated with low soil organic matter levels. Despite the elevated volume of publications related to soil quality and crops, information about specific plants such as the Capia pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv.) with clear economic relevance in semiarid environments is missing. The aim of present study is to investigate the effects of different doses of manure on Capia pepper focusing on soil–plant interaction, soil quality, and plant yield in an experimental area located in Turkey. Key soil properties were monitored and relationships between plant and soil properties were evaluated using the principal component analysis (PCA). At the end of the first and second growing season, the effects of manure application on some plant and soil characteristics were statistically significant at different levels. According to the PCA result, 15 plant characteristics and 7 soil characteristics were grouped into five factors and defined 85.4% and 90.9% of the total variability in the population in the first and second growing seasons, respectively. Our research concluded that sustainable soil management such as the use of specific dose of manure improves soil quality and plant productivity.