(Capsicum annum) |
|
Chillies is
cultivated as one of the important cash crops thoughout
Inida. Anhdra Pradesh ranks first in India both in area
and production with 2.04 lakh hectares producing 323
thousand tonnes. Though it is cultivated in all the
districts in the state. Khammam(26099), Guntur (24819),
Krishna (21253), Prakasam(20829(, Warangal(16161) and
Karimnagar(11312) are the important producing districts.
Season Throught the year under irrigated conditions
Soils
For rainfed, black soils are best suited.
For irrigated crops light and alluvial soils are most
suited. III drained soils are ot suited.
Raised beds of
1 metre width and 30 m long in one or more bits according
to the availability of space surrounded by drainage
channels of 30 cm width are to be formed.
Sowing of seeds uniformly using 650 g per bed of 40 sq m. Consolidate the beds after sowing with a roller. Three such beds are required for planting one hectare.
Application of 100g of Furadan granules per 40 sq.m.
Seed treatment with Thiram or Dithane M-45 is done at the rate of 3 g/kg seed.
Spraying copper fungicide on 12 th day and 19 th day of sowing to prevent damping off diseaes.
Only organic manures are to be applied.
topping the seedlings on week prior to tranplantation, if the seeding are more than 6 weeks.
Six weeks old seedliongs are to be used for transplantation.
Transplanting
40-45 days old seedlings preferably on a cloudy day.
For cold weather crop transplantation is to be done
during the last fortnight of August or first fortnight
of September Transplant 2-3 seedlings per hill.
Rainfed 15 cm x 56 cm (with in the row X between rows.)
Irrigated 45 cm x 75 cm( in light soils under low input management)
60 cm x 60 cm in fertile soils or light soils under intensive cultivation.
Recommended for a rainfed crop under moisturte retenstive black soils which are free from weeds with good drainage.
Seeds are to be drilled by the end of july or firt week of August by using 6.25 kg of seed per ha.
Seed is to be treated as in the case of nursery before sowing.
After 30-40 days of sowing, thinning and gap filling are to be done preferably on a cloudy day.
Plant to plant distance is to be maintained at 15 c in the rows of 56 cm apart.
A basal dose of 25 t/ha of farmyard manure to be applied in June-July.
Sheep penning (2500-3000 sheep/ha) can be done if possible.
Neem cake at 3-4 q/ha preferably mixing with fertilizers at the time of final ploughing.
Green manuring can be practised by sowing pillipesara, cowpea or sunnhemp with early rains and incorporating it after 40 days growth.
For a rainfed crop 60 kg N, 40 kg P2O5 and 50 kg K2O/ha are to be applied as a basal dose at the time of last ploughing.Depending on the rain fall a top dressing of 20-30 kg Nitrogen/ha is to be applied in two split doses by placement.
For an irrigated crop, a basal dose of 60 kg N, 60 kg P2O5 and 30 kg K20 is to be applied at the time of final ploughing.After 45 days of planting three split doses of 20 kg N plus 10 kg K2o each at 15 days interval followed by irrigation. Later on two more split doses of N alone at 20 kg/ha are to be given. Foliar application of 1% urea along with insecticidal of fungicidal spray canbe given and at each time only 8 to 10 kg or Urea may be required. Urea can be mixed with all insecticides and fungicides.
In the soils where Zinc deficiency is noticed, Zinc sulphate
@ 50 kg/ha can be applied to the soil Zinc sulphate can
also be sprayed @ 2 g of water using 1250 g of
Zinc sulphate/ha . This is to be repeated twice at
10days interval.
Chillies require
frequent intercultivation. In the direct sown crop blade
harrow is to be worked starting from 30th day of sowing.
Four intercultivations are needed at 10 days intervals
alternated with blade harrow (Guntaka) and tyned harrow
(danti) or gorru or Junior-how. Final intercultivation
is to be given by the country plough. For an irrigated crop,
intercultivation is to be given either by Junior hoe or light
plough after each irrigation. Intercultivation is to be
followed by hand weeding to check the weed growth.
Chilli cannot with stand heavy moisture. Hence, irrigation should be given only when it is necessary. Frequent and heavy irrigation induces excess vegetative growth and causes flower shed. The number of irrigation and interval between irrigation depend upon soils and climatic conditions. If the plants show symptoms of dropping leaves beyond 4.00 pm it is an indication that irrigation is needed.
Flower drop is natural in chillies. Only 30 to 40% flowers set in to pods. Flower drop will be high during cloudy days. To minimise flower drop, to increase pod set Napthalline acetic acid (planofix or Wardhak) 15 ppm is to be sprayed thrice at fortnightly intervals starting from 45 days after transplantation.
Roots grubs damage the chilli plants by feeding on the root system. The attacked plants die and can be easily identified. Their damage can be seen in the field up to the end of October .
To prevent root grubs, use only well rotten farm yard manure. Apply 25o kg Neem cake/ha mixing with farmyard manure Drill 50 kg carboryl 5% dust/ha in July-August before planting . In severe cases apply 25 kg Photo granules/ha.
Both nymphs and adults damage the crop. They lacerate the leaf tissue and suck the sap. The infested leaves develop crinkles and curl upwards. The severely infested plants develop bronze colour. If the plants are affected at early stage they remain stunted in growth and flower production and pod set are arrested causing severe loss in yield.
Spray carbaryl 0.15% @ or Phosalone 0.1% 3 ml or methyl demeton 0.05% @ 2 ml or Aacephate 0.075% lg/l of water.
The affected leaves curl down-ward along the margins of the leaf and attains on inverted boat shape. The pedicles of the leaves get elongated and the young leaves at the tip of the branch cluster. The affected plants develop dark green clour. In the affected plants the vegetative growth is inhibited and flower production is ceased and yields are considerably reduced.
Spray Phosalone 0.1% @ 3 ml or Dicofol (kelthane) 0.09% 5 ml of water. See that the bottom sides of leaves are also sprayed.
Aphids appear on the tender shoots, leaves and on the lower surface of the old leaves. They suck the sap and reduce the vigour of the plant. They secrete sweet substance which attract ants and develop sooty moulds. The pods that develop black colour due to sooty moulds loose quality and fetch low price. The yields are also reduced by aphids directly and more throug the spread or virus diseases acting as vectors.
Spray 0.1% Dimethorate 3 ml/1 or Methyl demeton 0.05% 2ml/1 or Acephate 0.075% 1 g 1 lit of water. Spray alternating the chemicals at 10 days interval till the aphids population is checked. Avoid spraying when predatory beetles are seen in sufficient numbers. Monocrotophos 0.07% 2 ml plus Nuvan 1/2 ml/lit of water can also be sprayed to control aphids.
The winged forms of aphids migrate from one field to another rapidly. Hence, spraying is to be done as far as possible within a day or two by all the cultivators of a particular locality.
Pod bores are polyphagaous and appear on chilli crop both in vegetative phase and at the time of pod formation. The caterpillars are pale greenish brown and smooth with dark markings. They enter chilli pods by second and third in start by making a hole near calyx and feed on chilli seed. The affected pods drop off or develop white colour on drying . The fully grown caterpillars enter the soil for pupation.
Spray Endosulfan 0.07% 2 ml/1 of Carbaryl 0.15% 3 g/1 or Chloropyriphos 0.05%, 2.5 ml/1 of water. When the borer attack is severe, Monocrotophos 0.07% 2 ml/l or Quinaphos 2.5 ml/l can be sprayed. The dosage of these chemicals should not be increased as they cause flower drop.
It is a seed as well as air borne disease. It makes its appearance in October-November at the time of flowering. Individual flowers get infected and dry up. The infection gradually spreads to the stem also. In the affected stem, the bark first turn brownish and then turn to shinny white in long and narrow strips containing several black dot like fructifications. Affected twigs get with red and dry up from tip downwards, after on, the disease spreads to the fruits also Circular to oval, black sports occur on the ripe pods. Severally affected pods turn straw coloured instead of normal red, shrival and dry up.
The seed from disease free crop only should be used for sowing.
Seed treatment with Thiram or Dithane M-45 at 3g per kg of seed should be taken up
Early removal of isolated cases of die-back will be helpful in checking further spread.
Spray Captain 1.5 g/lit or Dithane M-45 at 2.5 g/l of water at the time of flowering i.e. in October - November and repeat the spray after 15 days if the disease in seen
It occurs in October to December months. In the dsbegining small brown spots are seen on leaves which turn into greyish or black spots. In severe cases I the affected leaves turn yellow and drop-off. Stem infection results in wilting of tender branches and twigs.
Spray Poshamycin or Plantomycin 1 g plus 15 g Biltox in 5L of water at fortnightly intervals using 150 g of Agrimycin and 1800 g of Blitox/ha.
This disease occurs in December -February, Whitish powdery patches are seen on the lower surface of the leaves. Inb advanced stages, the leaves turn yellow and drop-off. Further flowr production is ceased.
Spray Karathane 1 ml or sulfex 2g/lit of water of dust sulphur at 20-25 kg/ha.
Mosaic virus diseases also cause considerable damage to chilli crop. Mosaic disease exhibits itself as vein clearing of the younger leaves followed by severe mottling with patches of light and dark green scattered all over the leaf surface. Other important symptoms are leaf distortions, curling, marginal rolling of leaves. The plants become stunted and flower production is ceased.
Remove the affected plants and destroy them din early stage. Control aphids and white fly vectors by insecticide sprays.
Improved method of drying Since the produce is exposed to sun for 10-15 days spreading on the open yards. It Is only not subjected to contamination with dust and foreign matter, but the development of colour also is not upto the mark due to the bleeaching effect of sun rays. The results of experiements conducted at Regional agricultural Research Station. Lam on mechanical drying were quite encouraging. The produce can be dried within a perod of 18 hours with the aid of air blown sun drier, keeping temperature at 44 degree- 46 degree Celsicus. This method not only saves time and avoids watching for 10 to 15 days but also imparts deep red colour and glossy texture to the fruits which are liked in foreign trade and fetch higher premium than that of sun drying. The moisutre content of dry pods is to be kept at 8-10%. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||