Technified irrigation and chemical water conditioning are decisive factors in boosting nutrient uptake in high-value, non-traditional export crops. Within this framework, the oral defense was held for the postgraduate thesis titled: “Effect of irrigation water acidification using 3 types of acid on pitahaya (Hylocereus undatus) crop yield, Manabí Province, Ecuador,” presented by Alex Muñoz.
The research was supervised by M.Sc. Dafne Isaac Serrano Pérez and evaluated by an examination committee comprising Paúl Carrión Mero, Ph.D., M.Sc. Randon Ortíz Calle, M.Sc. Lady Bravo Montero, and M.Sc. Edwin Jiménez. The study assessed the impact of water pH management using three distinct acid sources in red pitahaya (dragon fruit) orchards in Manabí, providing practical agronomic guidelines to optimize fertigation, enhance nutrient bioavailability within the wetting pattern (wetted bulb), and maximize per-hectare fruit yields.
With the approval of this thesis, FLS-ESPOL contributes new applied research to the agricultural sector, adding a highly trained specialist in precision water management and technified plant nutrition.
