Cultural Sweet Pepper
Season	Wet Season : May-Aug Spring / Winter : Oct-Dec Summer Season : Feb-March
Climate	Suitable Temperature - Average Monthly temperature 20 -35 C, Day Length 9-10 hours light stimulates plant growth and increases the productivity by 21-24%
Temperature	i) Frost - dangerous 0 0 ii) High night temp improves capsaicin, Day temperature 20 -30 C optimum but 0 >37 C accelerates flower and fruit drop iii) Low night temperature increases parthenocarpic fruit set iv) High day temperature develops abscission zone (flower drop)
Nursery	Nursery Management - Tips to be followed & monitored : i) Sow the seeds in Pro trays of 98 cavities by using the sterilised cocopeat as a media, th ii) At 10 day after sowing mild spray with Uthane M-45 @ 1g/litre of H O + Ulala 2 0.3 g/litre of H O or Saaf @ 1g/litre of H O + Ulala 0.2 g/litre of H O 2 2 2 th iii) At 15 day after sowing spray with Saaf @ 1g/litre of H O + Ulala 0.2 g/litre of 2 H O 2 st iv) At 21 day after sowing spray with Uthane M-45 @ 1g/litre of H O + Ulala 0.3 2 g/litre of H O or Saaf @ 1g/litre of H O + Ulala 0.2 g/litre of H O 2 2 2 v) At 28 days after sowing spray with Saaf @ 1g/litre of H O+ Ulala 0.2 g/litre of 2 H O+ 19:19:19 (Soluble) @ 1g/litre H O 2 2 vi) Hardening of seedlings is must before transplanting. Seedling will be ready for transplanting in 30 Days after sowing. Transplanting has to be done preferable in evening hours to avoid sun shock & mortality.
Soil & Land Preparation	i) An ideal soil for growing chilli is a light loamy soil enriched with organic matter & also rich in lime with pH up to 6-7 will be good for cultivating Hot Pepper. ii) Deep Ploughing & Harrowing (expose the soil to hot sun for 20-30 days in summer season) & keep the soil weed free to reduce soil pathogen as well as to reduce secondary host for sucking pest. iii) Apply 25 tonnes of well decomposed FYM/ha fallowed by harrowing to mix in the soil iv) Prepare ridges & furrows. v) Apply the fertilizer as per the recommendations. vi) Irrigate the field a day prior or before Transplanting, vii) Ideal time for transplanting is between 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM evening hours & irrigate the field immediately after transplanting for quick & better establishment, viii) Advisable to adopt technologies like drip irrigation for intensive utilization of water & Mulching for better crop growth & development & also mulching will help to restrict weeds & enhance quality of produce.
Seed Rate	200-250 g/ha
Irrigation	Irrigate as & when required based on the soil type & the local practices
Spacing	i) Row to Row : 60 cm & Plant to Plant : 45 cm or ii) Row to Row : 75cm & Plant to Plant : 60 cm
Fertilizer Kg/Acre	i) Apply 25t FYM/ha at the time of ploughing ii) At the time of final land preparation apply 100:50:50 NPK kg/ha iii) 20 DAT again apply 50:25:25 NPK kg/ha as top dressing iv) After first picking apply final dose of 50:25:25 NPK kg/ha as top dressing v) Use of bio-fertilizer, Azotobacter or Azospirillum @ 2kg/ha save 25% nitrogen requirement of chilli crop vi) For soil application Azospirillum should be mixed with 20 kg of FYM or compost. Top dressing should be done after draining out the water and weeding so that the loss of nutrient is minimum. vii) The acidic soils should be treated with liming materials as and when required. viii) Addition of organic manures or green manuring should be done at least once in 3-5 years. ix) In case of flooded fields slow releasing nitrogenous fertilisers should be used so that loss of nitrogen can be minimised. x) Appropriate plant protection measures and proper tillage practices should be adopted so that plants remain healthy and absorb the applied nutrients from the field
Flower Initiation	45 DAT
1st Picking	65 -70 DAT (2 - 2.5 months After Transplanting)
Growth Regulator	i) NAA@ 50 ppm, at flowering reduces flower drop & increases fruit setting ii) Lehosin @ 200 ppm improves fruit quality( fruit dev. & capsaicin); iii) K-increases capsaicin iv) MH @ 300 ppm & Ethrel @ 200 ppm suppressed flowering Use of growth regulators i) Flower and fruit drop is a serious problem in chilli and it depends on higher temperature, low soil moisture, shading and light intensity ii) Planofix (NAA) @ 20-40 ppm (20-40 mg/lit) twice with 15 days interval iii) 2,4,D @ 2-4 ppm at flower bud initiation reduces flower drop and increase fruit set and yield iv) Application of Ethrel or Ethepon @ 300 ppm through foliar spray increases fruit set and yield. v) Application of morphactin at 1ppm before flowering produces stamen less flowers. vi) Ethrel is applied for uniform maturity of fruits. Ethrel or ethephon is applied @ 500 ppm when the first fruit on the plant begins to turn slightly red.
Yield T/ha	30-35 T (Green); 25-40% of green chilli / red fresh (Dry)
Avg. per Fruit weight (g)	Av. Wt. 3.5-4 g, 60-65 seeds/ green chilli & 90-110 seeds/Red Dry
No. of fruits per plant	Average 425-450
Major impediment	Leaf curl virus (Thrips) / Muruda complex / Die Back / Bacterial Wilt / Fruit & Shoot Borer / Bacterial Wilt
Remedies / Control Measures	i) Cuproflix 3.0-4.0 g/l & Unilax 2.0 g/l for Damping off, ii) Saaf 2.5 g/l for Die Back & Fruit Rot, iii) Topas 1.5 ml/l & Beltyon 1.0 g / L for Powdery Mildew, iv) Saaf 2.5 g/l, Uthane 2.0 g/l for Cercospora leaf spot, v) Lancergold 2.5 g/l for thrips control, vi) Ulala 0.5 g/l for Aphids & White flies control, vii) Invade 0.5 g/l, Atabron 3 ml/l for Fruit borer control
Harvesting	As per requirement : green/ripe
No. of Pickings	6- 10 (1-2 weeks interval) 3 months
Key Points	i) K O-improves capsaicin (Condensation product of 3 hydroxy, 4 methoxy 2 Benzylamine & Dicylenic acid) * Pungency/capsaicin- is measured in ASTA (American Spice Trade Association) units or Scoville Heat Units (SHU) ASTA units x 15 = Scoville units (1 ASTA=15 SHU) Capsaicin-stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucous membranes. Non-pungent peppers are used as vegetable, whereas paprika type peppers (paprika capsicum oleoresins) are mainly used in food / cosmetic industries as colorant, where zero pungency is preferred with more than 40000 ASTA colour units *The capsicum oleoresins are usually obtained from pungent peppers, which should have 100000-500000 SHU & max. 4000 ASTA colour units. *In humans, the limit for capsaicin taste is 10 ppm which is 70 times lower than that for piprine of black pepper & 1000 times lower than zinger one of ginger. Pure capsaicine scoville rating-1.5-1.6 crore SHU. Bell pepper-zero / no heat Hottest chilli-Naga Jolokia / ghost pepper-8.5 to 10.5 lakh SHU, *****Recent Guinese record (1067, 286 SHU tested by Varvik university) - by variety infinity / Lankshire, Britain, Farmer : Nik woods, followed by Red Savina Habanero - 3.5-5.8 lakh SHU Determined by - High pressure liquid chromatography. ii) % of dry chillies : 25-40% of green
Care	Follow Crop protection schedule for LCV : i) Apply phorate between lines during nursery 10% @ 10 kg/ha ; ii) While transplanting-dip seedling tips in mixture of Monocrotophos (36% @ 15 ml + Mannose 25 g + S 25 g in 10 L water; After transplanting Spray - Mix. of Monocrotophos @15 ml + Wettable S (805) 25 g + 25 g COC in 10 L water; st iii) Second spray 10 days after 1 : Mixture monochrotophos -15 ml + S 25g + ziram -20 g in 10 l water ; iv) Follow the same spray at an interval of 10-15 days till flowering ; v) When irri. Facility is not available - dusting with methye parathion s/be done; vi) On flowering spray - mix. of mathion (50%) 20 ml/mono 15 ml + S (80%) 25g + ziram 2 g in 10 L water at 10 days interval; st vii) If picking is to be done then 1 pick & then apply the sprays; viii) Towards the end of Oct. Chilli is oftenly infested by PM: CM - Dusting with S (300 mesh) @20 kg/ha; Never pick the fruits for 6 days from spraying
Export Standards	Dark green, highly pungent, uniform, 6-7 cm long with good storability
# of Seeds /g	175-180