Pepper

Pepper

1. Introduction

   • One of the earliest spices.King of spices.Most improtant and widely used spice crop.Native to south-west India
   • History
     • Earliest commodities that was traded between the orient and Europe.High price,used by the rich for food.

2. In Malaysia

   • Three big planted area
     • Sarawak,Sabah,Semenanjung Malaysia

3. Botany

   • Climbing perennial vine.Best grown in moist,hot tropical climate,elevation 1500 feet.Best grown on fertile,flat land,rich in humus with good drainage and light shade.Begin bearing in 2-5 years until 40years.
   • Morphology
     • Woody climber.Alternately arranged broad shiny green leaves.As vegetative shoot ascends,a simple leaf and axillary bud whichdevelops into a lateral branch to bear the fruit.Adventitious roots is formed to help adhere to he support.
   • Flowers
     • Small flowers are in dense slender spikes(50 blossoms each)
     • Spike arises at the node opposite the leaf.Bisexual flowers,some male flowers are produced at the tip of the spikes.
     • Self-pollinated,through wind rain and ants.
   • Fruits
     • Called peppercorns,Drupe about 5mm in diameter.Early stage,it is pale green and soft then turn dark green and hard.It becomes yellow and red and turns soft as it ripens.

4. Common species

   • Kuching Variety
     • Grow rapidly with high yield.Vulnerable to foot rot,black berry,fusarium wilt and wrinkled leaf diseases.5-6harvest cycle
   • Semenggok Emas
     • Higher yield after 3rd year.Easy to harvest.3 harvest cycle.Vulnerable to foot knot disease.Thick pericarp.
   • Semenggok Aman
     • Full fruit set.Longer and bigger berries.Uniform ripening allowing short harvest period.Resistant to black berry and foot rot disease and resistant to pepper weevil and stem borer

5. Propagation

   • Grown from stem or terminal cuttings
   • Cuttings
     • Tools must be clean.Must be from the main stem. Avoi young shoots on top(top 3 nodes).Can be done again 10-14 days later when new shoots had grown.
     • Must have 4-6 nodes.2 top branches must be kept.Bottom 3 branches need to be removed.Support must be removed too
   • Nursery
     • Shaded environment.
     • Soak cutting in mixture of carbofuran and benomyl(10 minutes) to prevent pest and fungus attack.Use rooting hormone to fasten rooting on nodes.
     • Plant cutting slanted at 45-60 degrees.3 nodes in sand while 2 nodes above ground.
   • Transplanting
     • After 4-8 weeks in nursery,cutting can be transplant.

6. Land preparation

   • Loosen soilmounding
     • Cut,fell,burn and remove root stump to reduce white rot .Suitable soils: Red yellow podzolic clay soil,rich in organic material,rich in nutrient.
     • Support pole to creep on for efficient management.Best capped at 2m,focus on trunk pruning.Avoid lateral growth,shoot and leaves growth on top are allowed.
   • Liming
     • Lime the mound 3-4 weeks before planting
   • Preparing pepper cutting
   • Planting 5 nodes cutting
   • Shading newly planted cutting
   • Irrigation system
     • At least 1750mm a year.

7. Pruning

   • Why?
     • Increase flowers and yield.Ease of management. Prevent pest and diseases.Can produce new cuttings
   • Terminal shoot pruning
     • First round at 6-8month after planting.(all terminal shoots cut down to 30cm from ground)
     • Second round at 12-14 months after planting.(Only 3 best shoots are kept,keep6-7 nodes only to induce lateral shoots)
     • Third round at the time when terminal shoots had grown until the end of support(done before start to flower and yield)
   • Lateral shoot pruning
     • Cut stolon
   • Top shoot pruning
     • In mature stage,prune all of them.
   • Bottom lateral shoot pruning
     • Shoot developed less than1/2 foot from the ground need to be removed

8. Fertilizer

   • Dolomite and roganic fertilizer usage are encouraged.2-5kg organic fertilizer per tree each year.