Farmers stand a huge chance of earning from the wide global deficit of sweet pepper also called pilipili hoho, which is also referred to as bale pepper, using the following steps in their production.

It is estimated that a farmer with an acre piece of land can easily make up to Shs10m from this crop per season considering that it can be grown thrice a year with a production of 100,000 stems.

Although the global production of this high value crop, which belong to the capsicum species and come in three main colours-greens, red and yellow, has been growing since early 1990s, the global deficit is still quite high.

Last year, the global production of sweet pepper was 34.6 million tonnes against a total consumption of 52 million tonnes, with China accounting for 51 percent of the production. Other market leaders include Mexico, Turkey and Indonesia who produced 2.3 million tonnes, 2.2 million tonnes and 1.7 million tonnes respectively.

Conditions for growth of sweet pepper

Sweet peppers grow well in temperatures ranging 15 ยบC to 25ยบC and high altitude areas of 2,000 metres above sea level. Sweet peppers yield high in well-drained loamy or heavy cracking clay soils with an optimum PH range of between 6.0-6.5.

Planting sweet pepper

Seeds should be sown in drilled rows spaced 15cm and thinly covered with soil. Thinning or pricking out should be done to a final seedling spacing of 5cm to allow for growth of healthy seedlings. Transplanting is done when seedlings measuring 10-15 cm at the age of four to six weeks.

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The spacing of 70cm by 40 cm is recommended, therefore, an acre piece of land can accommodate 12,000 plants. After a week, top dress with Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) at the rate of 40 kilogrammes/acre.

Irrigate constantly-at least thrice per day but 24/7 regulated irrigation is encouraged during dry season. After four weeks, apply CAN at the rate of 80 kilogrammes/acre.

Harvesting sweet pepper

Harvesting starts two and a half to three months after planting and can continue for four to six months with good management. Only mature fruits should be picked and packaged for market. Sweet peppers should be harvested when filled out and still green. Harvested fruits should be placed under shade for grading, sorting, and packaging to avoid shrivelling. Export produce should conform to the required standards with respect to quality, packaging and labelling.

Although the average maturity of sweet pepper is 90 days with production of 10,000 fruits per acre, some hybrid varieties grown in the country including Yolo wonder, Maxibell and California wonder can mature in 75-80 days. Yolo wonder for instance mature in 80 days and has a production of six tonnes per acre same as California wonder.

The Maxibell variety matures in only 75 days and has a production of eight tonnes per acre with each fruit weighing 100-120grammes. It is highly resistant to common diseases such as Tobacco mosaic, Purple Blotch, Anthocyanin and Downy Mildew. Strict farm hygiene which includes constant weeding and trimming lowers chances of diseases.

Pests and diseases of sweet pepper

There are several pests and diseases you must be aware of as far as capsicum growing is concerned.
Blossom-end rot: The disorder is caused by lack of calcium. It creates dark brown or black spots on immature fruits. To overcome it, plants should be evenly watered to ensure a steady flow of calcium to the fruits, especially at the forming stage.

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Damping-off: Here, seedlings suddenly fall over and rot. This is caused by fungus and can be prevented by keeping the soil in which seedlings grow slightly dry to avoid excessive watering.
Cutworms: This nocturnal caterpillar curls around seedling stems and eats through them. They are controlled by using cutworm collars and applying beneficial nematodes to the soil.

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