TY  - EJOU
AU  - Reyes-Pérez, Juan José 
AU  - Llerena-Ramos, Luis Tarquino 
AU  - Carranza-Patiño, Mercedes Susana 
AU  - Torres-Rodríguez, Juan Antonio 
AU  - Pincay-Ganchozo, Roger Alexander 
AU  - Preciado-Rangel, Pablo 
AU  - Espinosa-Palomeque, Bernardo 

TI  - Enhancement of Growth, Yield and Fruit Quality of Pepper (<i>Capsicum annuum</i> L.) by Application of Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 2026
VL  - 95
IS  - 3
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - The agricultural use of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO<sub>2</sub> NPs) has the potential to improve the yield, sensory quality, and nutraceutical properties of various plant species. The objective of this study was to evaluate different concentrations of SiO<sub>2</sub> NPs (0, 5, 7, and 9 mg L<sup>−1</sup>) on the growth, yield, and nutraceutical quality of peppers (<i>Capsicum annuum</i> L.) cv. Quetzal grown under greenhouse conditions. A completely randomized experimental design was established with four treatments and three replicates. SiO<sub>2</sub> NP solutions were applied via drenching at specific phenological stages. Agronomic variables (plant height, stem diameter, and dry biomass), productive variables (number and weight of fruits and yield per hectare), and biochemical variables (total phenolic compound content, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity) were measured. The results indicate that concentrations of 7 and 9 mg L<sup>−1</sup> of SiO<sub>2</sub> NPs significantly promoted vegetative growth, with increases in plant height (+12.40%) and dry biomass (+60.02%), respectively. Furthermore, increases in fruit number and weight, as well as total yield, were observed. In terms of nutraceutical quality, higher levels of phenolic compounds (+37.14%), flavonoids (+45.44%), and antioxidant activity (+3.71%) were recorded in fruits treated with these concentrations. These findings suggest that the application of SiO<sub>2</sub> NPs at optimal doses can improve both the yield and nutraceutical quality of peppers, positioning it as a promising agronomic input for this crop.
KW  - Antioxidants; biofortification; <i>Capsicum annuum</i>; silicon dioxide; yield

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2026.076459