Hot Pepper (Chilli) and Sweet Pepper
 

Land Requirements No Specific requirements. Land should be free from volunteer plants.  
Isolation Requirements

Pepper is self-and cross-pollinated. Cross-pollination is done mainly by insects. the extent of cross-pollination from 7 to 36 per cent has been recorded in the U.S.A. The seed fields must be isolated from other variety fields of pepper(both hot and sweet pepper), and fields of same vareity not conforming to varietal purity requirement ofcertification by at least four hundred metres for foundation seed production and two hundred metres for certified seed production.

 

 
Cultural Practices
Time of Sowing (a) Hot pepper
Northern Plains (i) Kharif crop         - June to July
                        (ii) Spring crop         - February to March                      
Eastern and Southern Zones             - throughout the year.
(b) Sweet pepper
Hills                 - April , May
North               - July, November to February
South               - September to October
  

Preparation of Land For transplanting prepare the field to a fine tilth by ploughing and 3to 4 harrowings followed by levelling.  

Source of Seed Obtain breeder's/foundation seeds from source approved by a seed certification agency.  

Seed Rate One or two kilogrammes per hectare.  

Sowing of Seeds in Nursery Seeds may be sown on raised nursery beds. (18 to 20 cms high from the ground)Each bed may be 2 to 2.5 meters long and 1 to 1.25 metres wide. 25 such bed will raise enough seedlings to transplant one ha.  

Fertilisation Apply 25 tonnes of well-rotted farmyard manure at the time of land preparation; and 175kg of Superphosphate, 100 kg potassium sulphate and amonium sulphate or C.A.N. at the time of transplanting. Top-dress 175 kg ammonium sulphate before flowering (40 to 45 days after transplanitng).  

Transplanting After 4 to 5 weeks, the seedlings grow about 15 to 20 cm tall and are then ready for transplanting. the transplanting may be done on ridges.  

Spacing (a) Hot pepper: 60 cm from row to row and 45 cm from plant to plant.
(b) Sweet pepper : 45 x 45 cm.
  

Irrigation The maintenance of uniform soil moisture is essential to blossom and prevent fruit drop. Generally 8 to 9 irrigations are given, depending upon rainfall, soil type, humidity and prevailing temperature.  

Interculture . Two to three hoeings and weedings are necessary to keep the field free from weeds.  

Insect and Disease Control Adopt recommended IPM methods  

Roguing Remove the offtypes.  

Harvesting and Threshing of Seeds

Fruits are picked when red ripe. Picking of immature fruits may result in serious germination difficulty. Fruits are crushed, cut, or macerated. Seeds are washed free of pulp and skins. After washing, seeds are dried in the sun to below eight per cent moisture content, before storage.


  

Seed Yield The average seed yield is about 50 to 80 kg per hectare.