Pepper

Pepper

1. Propagation

   • Cutting methods
     • Tools must be clean
     • Must be from the main stem
     • Avoid young shoots on top (top 3 nodes)
     • Cutting can be done again 10-14 days later
     • Cuttings
       • must have 4 – 6 nodes
       • Two top branches ( 2 nodes) must be kept
       • Bottom 3 branches need to be removed
       • Support (tuat) must be carefully removed using back of knife
       • Cutting can be plant in nursery or directly to the field (in rainy season)

2. Nursery

   • Main objective – promote rooting on node before transplanting
   • Must be shaded
     • use netting
     • Shade height - 2.5m – 3m (front) & 1.5m- 2m (back)
     • use sand (pasir sungai) bin (30cm height, 120cm wide).
   • use rooting hormone (Seradix)
   • Soak cutting in mixture of carbofuran and benomyl (10 minutes)
   • Plant cuttings slanted at 45 – 60 degrees
   • For 5 nodes cutting, 3 nodes in sand while 4th above ground
   • Water properly
   • After 4 – 8 weeks, cuttings can be transplanted, Week 8 is max limit for sowing in polythene bag

3. LAND PREPARATION

   • Terracing needed for area more than 40⁰ slope
   • Cut, fell, burn and remove root stump to reduce white rot disease (in dry season)
   • Must have proper drainage
     • For overflow and reduce disease risk
     • 60cm deep x 60 cm wide
     • Separating drain every 5-6 rows connected to main drain
   • Soil
     • Suitable soils
       • Red yellow podzolic clay soil
       • Rich in organic material
       • Rich in nutrient
     • Unsuitable soils
       • Sandy loam
       • Peat soil
       • Former rubber area is discouraged
   • Irrigation system
     • least 1750mm rain a year
     • sprinkler system can be used
       • certain conditions
         • New planting area with less rainfall
         • Sandy area with low water holding capacity
         • Area with uneven topography
         • High density planting
         • Area with limited water source
   • Support pole
     • Type
       • Belian wood (artificial)
       • Gliricidia (living)
       • Others – Bagong, Buan, dedap trees

4. Planting

   • Recommended planting distance are 1.8m x 2.4m or 2.1m x 2.1m
   • Use cover crop
     • Centrosema pubescens – 2m x 3m with 1.5m between row
     • Arachis pintoi – 2m x 2.4m or 2.4m x 2.4m
   • Before planting, make a mound 20cm high with 50-90cm wide to loosen the soil
   • Lime the mound (0.5-1kg) 3-4 weeks before planting
   • Planting best done in rainy season
   • Direct planting of 5 nodes cutting or polybag seedlings
   • Plant 3 nodes of cutting at 20-35⁰ angle
   • Newly planted rooted/unrooted cuttings need shade

5. Management

   • Pruning
     • Benefits
       • To produce lateral shoots along the support
       • Increase flowers & induce flowering
       • Increase yield
       • Ease of management
       • Prevent pest & diseases
       • Can produce new cuttings
     • Best done in early morning
     • Avoid rainy season
     • Tools needed – secateurs & small knife
     • Type
       • Terminal Shoot Pruning
       • Lateral Shoot Pruning
       • Top shoot pruning
       • Bottom lateral shoot pruning
   • Fertilizer
     • Dolomite and organic
     • To increase Ca & Mg, reduce acidity, improves soil structure, increase water and nutrient holding capacities
     • 1kg dolomite before planting follow by 0.5kg annually after 2 years
     • 2-5kg organic fertilizer per tree each year
   • Weed control
     • Physical control – manual weeding
     • Chemical control – contact herbicide
     • Cover crop
     • IWM
   • Pest& Disease
     • Pest
       • Green pepper bug
         • Cypermethrin spray (Decis 250 & Decis Mintap)
         • Lambda–cyhalothrin spray (Karate)
       • Pepper tingid bug
       • Pepper weevil
         • Cypermethrin spray especially inside the canopy where the adult hide
         • All damaged stems and branches need to be pruned and burnt
     • Disease
       • White root disease
         • Remove and destroy rubber root and stump before planting
         • Don’t plant cassava
         • Remove and destroy all infected plants
         • If attack is early (mild), dug out plant base and drench the collar with 0.15 % Copper Oxychloride or 1.0 % Tridemefon
       • Wrinkle lead disease
         • Use tools free of the virus
         • Don’t take cuttings from infected plant/farm
         • Plant in virus free area
         • Make sure the nursery are free from mealybugs and aphids
         • Make sure the mound are free from mealybugs
         • Spary with pesticide such as Deltamethrine to control pest insects and ants that carry mealybugs and aphids
       • Root knot disease
         • Control using carbofuran pesticide by applying on soil mounding (70-100 g for 2-3 times a year)
       • Black berries disease
         • Spray fungicide such as Octave as soon as the spike develop
         • Plant resistant varieties
         • Use live support pole such as Gliricida and Dedap to reduce attack
       • Velvel blight
         • Prune and burn infected parts
         • If the disease spread, spray with 0.1 % Pepertox (Copper Oxychloride)
       • Thread blight
       • Horse hair blight
         • Prune and remove infected parts from the farm
         • Spray the canopy with Pipertox (Copper Oxychloride)

6. Harvest & processing

   • Can be harvested immature (green) or matured (red)
   • Black pepper need 3-4 days of sun drying
   • White pepper need soaking for 15 days to remove skin
   • Later cleaned and sundried for 3-4 days

7. Use

   • Food Condiment
   • Preservative
   • Medicinal