Sweet Pepper Production JICA
Sweet Pepper Production JICA
Sweet Pepper Production JICA
Japan International Cooperation Agency Agriculture and Food Authority Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
Horticultural Crops Directorate State Department for Crop Development & Agricultural Research
CAPSICUM PRODUCTION
Presented to the County & AFA (HCD) Staff in charge of the
SHEP PLUS Model Farmer Groups during the FT-FaDDE
1. Introduction:
1.1 Background
• Capsicum belongs to solanaceae
family.
1-1 • It has a mild flavor, not hot
• It is rich in Vitamin A and C
• It also has nutritive elements
such as Potassium and
Phosphorus
• Its fruits are consumed fresh,
dried or in processed form as
Photo: SHEP PLUS
table vegetable or spice
Capsicum • Is eaten raw in salads or cooked
(Pili Pili Hoho/ Pili Pili Mboga) in food seasonings
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“Yolo Wonder”:
1-3
• A popular variety for export and local
market
• Fruits are shiny dark green, 3 – 4 lobed,
firm and blocky
• It is vigorous, compact and high
yielding
• Yield: 6,000kg per acre
“Yolo Wonder” 4
Photo: http://www.neseed.com/Pepper-Seeds-Yolo-Wonder-p/32400.htm
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2. Pre-Cultivation Preparation:
2.1 Market Survey
2-1
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3-4
Management of Nursery:
• Water the nursery regularly
• Harden the seedlings 1 – 2 weeks before transplanting by
reducing the frequency of watering and gradually exposing
the seedlings to direct sunlight
• Control of whiteflies is important since they transmit viruses
to young Capsicum plants
• These insects can be blocked from reaching the seedlings
by using an insect proof net
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3.5 Transplanting
3-5
3.5 Transplanting
3.5.1 Appropriate Time
• Seedlings are transplanted out in the field at the 4 – 6 true leaf stage,
usually 6 – 8 weeks after sowing
• Hardy transplants can be produced by restricting water and removing
shade protection 1 week before transplanting
• It is recommended that transplanting should be done either early in the
morning or late in the evening
3.5.2 Recommended Spacing (GHCP&PHHT20: Q10)
• Plant Spacing: 60 cm×45 cm or 70 cm×30 cm depending on the
variety
• Plant Population per Acre: range from 14,814 to 19,047
• Appropriate spacing produces short sturdy plants with good root system
3.5.3 Fertilizer Application Rates (GHCP&PHHT20: Q11)
• The type of fertilizer and amount needed depend on soil analysis results
• Apply 100 kg per acre of DSP/TSP during transplanting
• The fertilizer should be mixed thoroughly with the soil
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Drip Irrigation
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3.8 Top-dressing
(GHCP&PHHT20: Q14)
• Capsicum crop should be top-dressed with organic and
inorganic/chemical fertilizers to produce high yields
• The type and quantity of fertilizer depend on soil analysis
[General recommendation]
• 1st top-dressing is done with 40 kg per acre of CAN 2 –
3 weeks after transplanting
• 2nd top-dressing is done with 80 kg per acre of CAN 4
– 6 weeks after transplanting
• During flowering high amounts of nitrogenous fertilizer
should be avoided
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3-11
Photo: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US)
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3.10.3.B: Aphid
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Photo: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US)
Aphids on a leaf 27
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3.10.3.B: Aphid
Identification:
• Aphids occur in colonies initially around tender plant parts and on the
lower leaf surface
• When numerous, they can be found on all above ground parts of the
plant
Damages:
• Aphids damage plants by sucking their sap, excreting a sticky
substance (honeydew) that coats the plants, or/and by transmitting
viral diseases
• Curling, wrinkling, or cupping of young leaves, chlorotic spotting,
mottling of older leaves, stunting and wilting of plants
• Growth of sooty mould on honeydew excreted by aphids reduces
photosynthesis and affects fruit quality
Control:
• Naturally controlled by predators, such as ladybird beetles,
hoverflies, anthocorid bugs, spiders, lacewings and fungal diseases
• Indigenous natural enemy
– Parasitic wasp (Aphitech®)
• Spray with insecticides, such as Acetamiprid (Presento 200SP®)
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3.10.3.C: Cutworm
3-20
Photo: John C. French Sr., Retired, Universities:Auburn, GA, Clemson and U of MO, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US)
A Cutworm larva 29
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3.10.3.C: Cutworm
• Cutworms are the caterpillars of various moths
• They drop to the soil where they live until pupation
• They hide during the day in the soil around the base of the plants and
climb into plants at night
Damages:
• Young caterpillars feed on leaves making small holes
• Cutting stems of young seedlings at the level of the soil
Control:
• Eliminate weeds early well before transplanting
• Plough and harrow the field to expose Cutworms to natural enemies
and desiccation 3 – 4 weeks before transplanting is done
• Dig near damaged seedlings and destroy them
• Conserve natural enemies: Parasitic wasps and ants are important in
natural control of Cutworms
• Application of Azadirachtin 0.03% (NIMBECIDINE EC) and
Imidacloprid 17.8% (TATA MIDA 200SL)
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Damages:
• Spider Mites suck the sap of the plants, causing mottling of
the upper leaf surface
• Infested leaves first show a white to yellowing speckling, and
then eventually turn bronze and fall off as the infestation
becomes heavy
• Spider Mites prefer the lower surface of the leaves, but in
severe infestations occur on both leaf surfaces as well as on
stems and fruits
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• High infestations cause defoliation
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Photo: Phil Sloderbeck, Kansas State University, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US)
Damages:
• Some species feed on leaves causing defoliation and
slow plant growth
• Attack on flower buds results in flower abortion
• Caterpillars usually bore holes in fruits, causing extensive
damage and promoting decay from secondary infection by
diseases
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Damages:
• The females lay eggs that hatch into tiny yellow maggots
which feed on leaf tissues leaving a wandering track
(whitish tunnels) known as mines
• The mines may reduce photosynthetic activity, affecting
development of flowers and fruits
• These tunnels can serve as entry points for disease-causing
organisms
• Completely mined leaves might dry up and fall off
prematurely
• Wilting of plants leading to fruit sunscald, death of the
young plants and yield loss 38
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3.10.3.H: Thrips
3-26 3-27
Photo: Andrew Derksen, USDA-APHIS, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US) Photo: Bruce Watt, University of Maine, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US)
3.10.3.H: Thrips
Identification:
• Often concealed under the calyx
• Thrips usually feed on all above ground parts of plants preferring
the underside of young leaves, flowers and fruits
Damages:
• Thrips puncture leaves and suck the exuding sap
• At the initial stage of infestation, leaves have a silvery sheen
and show small, dark spots of faecal material on the
underside
• Later leaves curl upward, wrinkle and finally dry up leading to
fruit sunscald
• Damaged leaves, buds and fruits turn rusty in colour
• Wilting, retardation of leaf development and distortion of
young shoots resulting in stunted plants
• Attack on fruits causes deformation and scarring of the fruits
• Thrips transmit the Tomato Spotted Wilt virus and Leaf Curl
disease 41
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3.10.3.H: Thrips
Control:
• Conserve natural enemies, such as Anthocorid Bugs,
Predatory Mites and Spiders
• Spray insecticides, such as
– Spinosad (Tracer 480 SC®)
– Thiocyclam (EVISECT S®)
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3.10.4.a: Damping-off
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3.10.4.a: Damping-off
General Descriptions:
• This disease is soil borne caused by fungi
• There are 2 two types of Damping-off:
– Seedlings fail to emerge (Pre-emergence Damping-off)
– Small seedlings collapse (Post-emergence Damping-off)
Symptoms:
• Seedlings are stunted through root rot and/or collar rot
• Nursery beds show irregular patches
• Leaves: lesions, abnormal colours, abnormal forms, wilting,
fungal growth
• Roots: lesions
• Seeds: rot, discolorations
• Stems: external discoloration, canker, abnormal growth,
mycelium visible
• Whole plant: plant death, dieback, damping-off
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3.10.4.a: Damping-off
Control:
• Growing certified disease-free seed
• Nursery beds be located on well drained sites, not
previously under vegetable production
• Proper watering regime
• Use of appropriate fungicides as spray or soil drench, such
as Metalaxyl + Mancozeb (AMIDIL 68WG®)
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3.10.4.b: Anthracnose
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3.10.4.b: Anthracnose
General Descriptions:
• Anthracnose is caused by Colletotrichum spp.
• Spores dispersed by water-splash, air currents, insects or other
forms of contact
• Transmitted through seed, but also through infected plant parts
• Persists on and in the seed, crop residues, and weed hosts
Symptoms:
• Dark, sunken spots up to 2.5 cm across on Capsicum
• The spots on green and ripe fruit surface may be covered with salmon-
pink mass of spores in moist weather
Control:
• Use certified disease-free seeds
• Practice field sanitation (removal of crop debris after harvest)
• Application of registered fungicides, such as
– Propineb (ANTRACOL WP 70®)
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Photo: Florida Division of Plant Industry , Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US)
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Photo: © Marita Cantwell, UC Davis vegetable Produce facts English. Bell Pepper : Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality.
http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Commodity_Resources/Fact_Sheets/Datastores/Vegetables_English/?uid=5&ds=799 (Accessed on March 20, 2019)
Photo: Paul Bachi, University of Kentucky Research and Education Center, Bugwood.org (CC BY 3.0 US)
Symptoms:
• The end of the fruit becomes off-whitish to brown in
colour and takes on a “sunken” appearance
• As the fruit matures, these symptoms become more
pronounced and the colour of the rot becomes dark
brown to almost black
Control:
• Boost the soil with calcium by adding lime, Calcium Nitrate,
dolomite, gypsum or composted animal manures before
planting the seedlings
• Water regularly: Capsicums continue to flower and bear
fruit for prolonged periods of time, so ensure the soil around
their roots is kept moist
• Avoid fertilizers with a high nitrogen content: Nitrogen
fertilizers will promote leaf growth at the expense of fruit, 63
allocating calcium to the leaves instead of to the fruit
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4. Harvest
4.1 Harvesting Indices (GHCP&PHHT20: Q17)
• Maturity period ranges between 2 – 3 months after transplanting
• Capsicum fruits can be harvested when they are harvestable-green or
when they have developed full color
• Green fruits are incapable of ripening after removal from the plant
• The right stage for coloured fruit is when they have reached full colour,
filled out, still firm, sticky and thick walled
Harvesting Method:
• Since Capsicums have soft pliable thin flesh, care should be taken
during harvesting
• Use clean knife or scissors to harvest the fruits
• Fruits should be harvested early in the morning when it is cool since
the fruit temperature is low
• Harvested fruits should be kept in a cool, shaded and ventilated area
in order to minimize heat gain
• Yield: 6,000kg peracre (OPV), 25,000–30,000kg per acre (F1) open
field and 50,000–60,000 per acre (F1) greenhouse depending on the
variety and crop husbandry
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5. Post-Harvest Handling
5-1
Harvested Capsicums 65
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5. Post-Harvest Handling
5.1 Containers & Packaging Materials (GHCP&PHHT20:
Q18)
• Harvested Capsicum peppers are packed into plastic crates
then transported to markets
• Peppers are sensitive to ethylene and should not be stored
with fruits that produce ethylene such as bananas and
avocados
5.2 Value Addition Techniques: Cleaning, Sorting, Grading,
& Processing (GHCP&PHHT20: Q19)
Sorting:
• Eliminate all fruits harvested with defects
Grading:
• Grade Capsicum based on its uniform colour, maturity,
shape and size 66
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Reference
• The proposed agrochemicals are in accordance with “Products Registered for Use on
Crops Version 1_2018”. The registered agrochemicals are subject to change. Please
refer to the latest registered agrochemicals by Pest Control Product Board.
• Infonet-Biovision CD
• Sweet and Hot Peepers Production Guideline by Starke Ayres
• Fruits and vegetables technical handbook, 2003, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development
• CROPS EXTENSION POCKET HANDBOOK Vol. 1 - FIELD CROPS, 2012 Ministry
of Agriculture
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THANK YOU
ASANTE SANA
DOMO ARIGATO
GOZAIMASU
Contact: SHEP PLUS Office (4th Floor, N.H.I.F.
Building, Upper Hill, Nairobi)
Tel. No: 0737-293867/0712-504095
E-mail: info.shepunit@gmail.com
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