Ameliorative Effects of Vermicompost Application on Yield, Fertilizer Utilization, and Economic Benefits of Continuous Cropping Pepper in Karst Areas of Southwest China

Abstract

In recent years, vermicompost (V) has been widely used as an amendment for improving crop productivity and soil quality. However, the ameliorative effect of vermicompost on the continuous cropping pepper remains unclear, particularly in the karst areas of southwestern China. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of vermicompost application on the yield, quality, nutrient accumulation, fertilizer utilization, and economic benefits of continuous cropping pepper from 2021 to 2022. The experiment included six treatments: CK (no fertilizer), FP (the fertilization practice of local farmers), and FPV (FP combined with vermicompost of 1500, 2250, 3000, and 3750 kg·ha−1). The results show that vermicompost application increased the yield of fresh pod pepper by 28.34–51.36% (2021) and 47.13–68.82% (2022), whereas the yield of dry pod pepper increased by 16.97–35.14% (2021) and 34.48–62.61% (2022), respectively, compared with the FP treatment. The application of vermicompost reduced the nitrate content and increased the vitamin C (VC) and soluble sugar content of the fruits, which is beneficial for improving their quality. Vermicompost application not only increased nutrient uptake but also significantly improved agronomic efficiency (AE) and recovery efficiency (RE). In addition, although the application of vermicompost increased production costs, the increase in yield improved net incomes (16.02–31.83% in 2021 and 35.83–62.85% in 2022), especially in the FPV4 treatment. In conclusion, the use of vermicompost amendment had a positive effect on the productivity and economic benefits of continuous cropping pepper, which may be an effective nutrient management strategy for the continuous cropping pepper in the karst mountain areas of southwest China.