SWEET PEPPER. Keystone Resistant Giant Early Sunsation (Yellow type) King Arthur King Edward King Henry Zenith

Transcription

1 SWEET PEPPER 1. Varieties Open Pollinated Varieties California Wonder Keystone Resistant Giant Hybrid Varieties Aladdin (Yellow type) Biscayne Early Sunsation (Yellow type) King Arthur King Edward King Henry Zenith Seed rate: 2. Seed Treatment Six (6) ozs per acre. Seedlings per acre: Commercially available seeds are normally treated with fungicidal dressings. 3. Spacing and Planting Plant two (2) rows per 66" bed, with plants spaced 9" to 12" apart in the row. 4. Seasonality All-year-round production is possible, but yield is highest during the cool, dry months - December to May. 5. Duration of Crop Time from transplanting to first harvest for most varieties is approximately eleven (11) weeks. Under normal conditions harvesting can continue for six (6) to nine (9) months depending on variety, weather and management. 6. Weed Control a) Pre-plant herbicides: If young annual weeds are present in the field apply 2 pints (950 ml)/acre of paraquat (Gramoxone Super, Millquat, Herbiquat). For hard to kill annual weeds e.g. whitehead bush (Parthenium sp.), wild poinsettia (Euphorbia spp), apply a mixture of paraquat and diquat (Reglone) rates of 2 pints (950 ml) per acre for both. For hard to kill annual and perennial weeds apply either glyphosate (Roundup, Wopro-glyf) or sulfosate (Touchdown) at recommended label rates. b) Pre-emergence herbicides:

2 Apply pendimethalin (Prowl 42.3 EC) at 3 1/3 pints (1575 ml)/acre. OR Metolachlor (Dual 960 EC) at 1 1/4 pints (570 ml) per acre. NB. Pendimethalin or metolachlor can be applied either before or immediately after transplanting. c) Post-emergence herbicides: (i) (ii) For young annual weeds use a shielded sprayer to apply paraquat or a paraquat+diquat combination at the specified rates mentioned under preplant herbicides. For emerged annual and perennial grass weeds apply either fluazifop-butyl (Fusilade), or sethoxydim (Poast), or propaquizafop (Agil) at recommended label rates. 7. Insect Control PEST* PESTICIDE* DTH * READ THE PESTICIDE LABEL COMMENTS* SUCKING: Aphids Plant Bugs Thrips Whiteflies Diazinon OR 5 Dimethoate OR 14 Perfekthion Malathion OR 3 Lambdacyhalothrin 3 Karate Carbaryl OR 0 Sevin Cypermethrin OR 3 Sherpa Deltamethrin OR 3 Decis Permethrin 3 Ambush Flufenoxuron OR 10 Cascade An IGR. Fipronil OR 10 Regent Methomyl OR 3 Lannate Cypermethrin & Profenofos Imidacloprid OR 21 Thiamethoxam OR 3 Buprofezin Tambo Diafenthiuron OR 7 Pegasus Admire. Apply as a soil drench, either by a drip irrigation system, or a directed spray at planting prior to irrigation or rainfall. Actara. Apply to foliage or to soil according to label instructions. Applaud - an IGR. Apply evenly to crop, in conjunction with a contact pesticide. Thiocyclam OR 7 Evisect Cypermethrin + Profenofos 14 Tambo

3 PEST* PESTICIDE* DTH * COMMENTS* OTHER: Flower midge Dimethoate OR 14 Perfekthion Cyromazine OR 3 Trigard Cypermethrin & profenofos 14 Tambo NOTES ON PEST CONTROL * For application rates of pesticides - check directions for use on the pesticide label. Also consult pesticide suppliers and/or the Extension Section of the Ministry of Agriculture. * DTH = the minimum number of Days to Harvest from the last pesticide application. Where no information is given please consult the pesticide supplier. Always use pesticides with short DTH approaching or during harvest. * The synthetic pyrethroids available are permethrin (Ambush), cypermethrin (Sherpa), deltamethrin (Decis), and lambdacyhalothrin (Karate). * IGR = Insect Growth Regulator. These products mainly control larvae and nymphs, but seldom adults. Examples of IGR's available are buprofezin (Applaud), Chlorfluazuron (Jupiter), flufenoxuron (Cascade), cyromazine (Trigard), Azadirachtin Neem-X), and lufenuron (Match). * Check plants carefully at least twice weekly for pests. Sucking pests are usually found on the underside of the leaves. * For control of a particular pest, use one of the listed pesticides per application, and rotate with others as needed in the spray programme. * The best times to spray are in the morning between 7.00 a.m. and a.m. and in the late afternoon after 5.00 p.m., when: a) Few insects are on-the-wing and bees are not active, b) The sun is not strong enough to scorch plants, c) Foliage is dry, and d) Wind speeds are low. * The best way to spray is to wet thoroughly the stems, buds and undersides as well as the tops of leaves. * Always use a wetter-spreader-sticker (e.g. Citowett) at recommended rates with the spray solution. It binds the chemical to the plant thus negating the effect of the rain, and wind. * It's advisable to use a complete foliar fertilizer (e.g. Bayfolan, Nutrex, Novafol) in the spray solution to help improve the quality of the water, and provide some of the nutritional needs of the crop. The quality of the water refers to its freedom from extraneous materials such as dirt, etc., and also the ph (acidity or alkalinity) of the water. The ph of the water is adjusted by addition of special adjuvants (e.g. ph Plus, Indicate 5), where necessary. Check with the Extension Staff of the Ministry of Agriculture for more information on these areas.

4 * Combination of pesticides to be tank-mixed for the first time should be checked for compatibility before use. Incompatibility negates the efficacy of pesticides in the spray solution, and can result in plant injury - phytotoxicity. Some information on physical compatibility can be obtained by mixing small quantities of the pesticide materials in a separate container in the correct proportions. The combination should be tested on a small scale to determine safety to plants before proceeding to full field-scale usage. Further information on compatibility can be obtained from compatibility charts, consulting with pesticide suppliers, and the Ministry of Agriculture. * Keep spray solutions agitated to prevent settling-out of wettable powders and flowables; and avoid leaving spray solution standing in tanks for extended periods e.g. overnight. 8. Disease Control READ THE PESTICIDE LABEL DISEASE* PESTICIDE* COMMENTS* Bacterial Leaf Spot (Xanthomonas vesicatoria) Zinc sprays OR Fixed Coppers + Mancozeb Ziram Kocide, Champ, Champion. Manzate 200, Vondozeb Disease is seed borne. Use hot water and chemically treated seed. Crop rotation and deep ploughing of crop residues important since bacteria can persist in the soil for 2-3 years. The use of Ziram, Fixed Coppers, and Mancozeb during the wet season help to reduce spread of the disease. Some of the hybrid varieties e.g. King Arthur, King Henry show tolerance to the disease. Viruses See Comments Several viruses affect peppers and symptoms vary depending on the virus or strain, the plant, time of year and the environmental conditions. The methods of control recommended include seed treatment; control of insect vectors e.g. aphids, whiteflies; destroying affected plants and care in handling of the plant. Early Blight (Alternaria spp.) Blossom End Rot (Physiological) Benomyl OR Chlorothalonil OR Azoxystrobin Foliar fertilizer. See comments. Benlate Bravo Amistar New Fol-Ca Blossom-end-rot is caused by insufficient calcium when fruits are forming. Calcium deficiency may result from excessive nitrogen fertilization, rapid plant growth, and drastic moisture fluctuation.

5 NOTES ON DISEASE CONTROL * DAYS TO HARVEST (DTH) = the minimum number of days to harvest from the last pesticide application. Where no information is given, please consult the pesticide supplier. Benomyl = 14 Chlorothalonil = 7 Copper sprays = 3 Zinc sprays = 7 Mancozeb = 7 Azoxystrobin = 7 * Check plants carefully about twice weekly for diseases. For accurate disease identification and/or diagnosis, consult with the Extension Section of the Ministry of Agriculture. * For application rates of pesticides - check Directions for Use on the pesticide label. Also consult the pesticide supplier and/or the Extension Section of the Ministry of Agriculture. * See NOTES ON PEST CONTROL. 9 Fertilizers In the absence of an adequate and reliable soil testing service, the following recommendations are given as a guide for the direct application of NPK fertilizers to the soil. (a) Basal Dressing: during land preparation, apply in the bed and incorporate during rotavation the following fertilizers: - 4 x 50 kg bags of triple superphosphate, 2 x 50 kg bags of sulphate of ammonia, plus, 2 x 50 kg bags muriate of potash. Where fertilizer was not incorporated during land preparation apply 4 x 50 kg. bags of 12:12:17+2 or a similar mixed fertilizer per acre at transplanting. (b) Side-dressing: during the life of the crop at six (6) week intervals, or after heavy rains, the following regime should be applied: EITHER OR 10. Harvesting Two (2) bags of sulphate of ammonia and one-half (1/2) bag of potash per acre. Two (2) bags of per acre. Sweet peppers are generally harvested at the green mature stage, but may be harvested at the colour stage required (green, turning red). The red stage however, is most susceptible to bird damage. 11. Yields Yields of up to lbs per acre per season are obtainable. The crop is most productive during the cool dry season (December to June). 12. General Remarks In the field, peppers should be harvested and placed in field crates. Ideally, ripe peppers should be separated from green peppers, as ripe peppers hasten the ripening of green peppers.

6 For ease of handling in the field, peppers may be picked and placed in a picking apron/bag, then emptied into field crates. Care should be taken when removing the peppers from the plant so as not to damage the fruit. They should be harvested with the stem on, and damaged and diseased fruits should not be placed with good. Green sweet peppers have a storage life of two (2) to three (3) weeks at degrees F and 90-95% R.H. The storage life for red sweet peppers is shorter than for the green ones. DISCLAIMER: The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Use pesticides safely. Read and follow label directions.