Pepper Production In Agriculture

Botanical name:  Capsicum spp

Pepper is a spice crop which adds flavor to our stew and soup. 
 Pepper can be used when green or red; it is rich in vitamins and minerals. 
 It belongs to the family selonaceae.

VARIETIES OF PEPPER

Sweet pepper – capsicum annum

Chilli pepper – capsicum frutescens

CLIMATE REQUIREMENT

Temperature: 15⁰c - 27⁰c

Rainfall: 100cm – 150cm per annum

SOIL REQUIREMENT

Rich well drained loamy soil

Propagation: seed

Planting date: nursery – February to March

TRANSPLANTING TO THE FIELD

April to May

Spacing: 60cm by 60cm

NURSERY PRACTISE

1.   Seeds are drilled in seed boxes or trays containing top soil.

2.   Shade is provided

Watering is done every morning and evening

PLANTING

1.   Weeding: Weeding is done regularly

2.   Fertilizer Application: Apply ammonium sulphate by right method at 100kg per hectare

MATURITY

Pepper matures 2-3 months after transplanting, pepper can be harvested either ripe or unripe with hand or knife.

USE

Used for food

Storage: Dried fruits are stored in sacks and kept in a warm place.

Pests of Pepper: Crickets and grasshopper eat the leaves

Control: Spray with insecticides

DISEASES OF PEPPER

i.             Leaf spot

ii.           Damping off

iii.          Leaf curl

i.        Leaf spot: Caused by a fungus

Symptoms: include spotting of leaves of young  plant

Resulting in decay of flowers and leaves

Control: spray with insecticides

ii.       Damping off: fungal disease spread by water

Symptoms: wither gradually and dry off

Control: seeds should not be sown very close to each other

Spray with copper fungicides

iii.      Leaf curl:   i)      Wrinkling of the leaves

                                      ii.       Stunted growth

Control:      i)       Spray with insecticides

                             ii)      Uproot and burn infected plant

                              iii)     Practice crop rotation.