The agricultural use of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2 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 SiO2 NPs (0, 5, 7, and 9 mg L−1) on the growth, yield, and nutraceutical quality of peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) cv. Quetzal grown under greenhouse conditions. A completely randomized experimental design was established with four treatments and three replicates. SiO2 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−1 of SiO2 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 SiO2 NPs at optimal doses can improve both the yield and nutraceutical quality of peppers, positioning it as a promising agronomic input for this crop.
Reyes-Pérez et al. (Thu,) studied this question.