Capsicum has become a highly demanded farm produce in the consumer market and its consumption demand keeps increasing every year in domestic as well as International market
An acre of capsicum in open field cultivation could produce about 40 MT and in shadenet house 80-100 MT and in polyhouse / green house condition upto 180-200 MT of fruits in about 8-10 months period
Capsicum grows well in the day time temperature range of 25-30 degree celsius and night time temperature of 18-20 degree celsius and atmospheric humidity level of 50-60 % and soil PH range of 5.5 to 6.8 being slightly or moderately acidic
In an open field cultivation @ 4 feet row to row distance and 1 foot plant to plant distnce , one acre of land is planted with total plant population of 11,110 seedlings
35 days old seedlings are planted after seed treatment with fungicide to prevent root rot disease after Transplanting in the main field
The transplanting was done on December 25 th and flowering was noticed on February first week .
Out of total fertilizer recommendation of 100 :60:60 kgs of NPK per acre , 75 % of phosphate fertilizer was applied in basal application before last ploughing and remaining fertilizers were applied as water soluble fertilizers through drip irrigation system ( fertigation )
Cut worms and thrips and mite were major pests and were prevented by periodical monitoring and spray of pesticide
19:19:19 NPK , Potassium nitrate and calcium nitrate water soluble fertilizers, panchagavya, cow urine and planofix and micro nutrients were sprayed as foliar application through leaves to keep the growth steady and healthy
Besides above inputs , 10 MT of farmyard manure , Neem cake, Bio fetilizers like Azospirillum, phosphobacteria, Pseudomonas bio pesticide were applied after mixing it with Powdered farmyard manure .
Best growth and yield were obtained when cultivation of capsicum was done @ 60:40 organic and Inorganic nutrients ratio..
Growth stage of capsicum is divided into following phases
1.Transplanting to establishment phase – 10 days
2.Vegetative phase- Production of branches and leaves – 30 days
3.Flower initiation to first picking stage – 30 days
4.Harvesting stage – 95 days
Total crop duration is 165 days and it can be extended upto 240 to 300 days under favorable climatic condition / shadenet/ polyouse/ green house condition
Training and pruning of capsicum plants – At 5 or 6 th internode tip of the plant is pinched and side branches are allowed . Only two strong side branches are allowed to grow and again each of these two side branches are pinched at the tip thus allowing each to produce 2 more additional branches . This will give rise to 4 branches per capsicum plant . After one month time , pruning is done by removing weak branches from the nodes of each branch at the interval of 8-10 days . The capsicum plants are staked properly or supported with twine to the roof of the shadenet house . The plant grows to the height of 10 feet in life time . Every weak and twisted and malformed fruits are removed to allow healthy fruits develop in size and weight
In an acre 11,110 plants @ 4 branches per plant will give rise to total 44,440 stems . Each branch produce about 12 number of fruits with an average individual fruit weight of 150 grams thus producing around 80 MT of fruit yield per acre
@ the selling price of Rs. 25 / kg , 80,000 kgs of capsicum fruits brings about Rs.20 lac per acre per season
But extra care should be taken in regard to mulching sheet to cover planting beds, drip irrigation , Fertilizer nutrients managements and pest management
To control the pest and disease right from nursery stage is most important to produce healthy crop . The possible pest and disease that can damage the capsicum plant is
1.Root rot – During transplanting and early seedlings stage
2. Defoliator – makes holes in the leaves by feeding on the leaf surface and leaf axil near growing points
3.Fruit borer – making holes in the capsicum fruits
4. Leaf spot – fungal disease causing spots on leaves
5.Powdery mildew disease – Leaves are covered with while pustules of fungus
6. Thrips and mites and aphids – Feeds on under surface of leaves making the plant sick
7.Virus – makes the leaves little and whole plants unproductive
In some location where prevailing weather is favorable , farmers can even grow capsicum in open field cultivation and harvest about 40 MT of capsicum fruits without difficulties
But open field capsicum fetch lesser price compared to shadenet/ polyhouse capsicum ..however the gross income @ Rs. 15 per kg for about 40,000 kgs should bring you per acre income of Rs.6,00,000 in a season .
The yield of capsicum can be maximized by using appropriate crop geometry like double row planting and decreasing the plant to plant spacing . The plant population is determined based on the soil fertility status and type of cultivation practices followed
An acre of capsicum in open field cultivation could produce about 40 MT and in shadenet house 80-100 MT and in polyhouse / green house condition upto 180-200 MT of fruits in about 8-10 months period
Capsicum grows well in the day time temperature range of 25-30 degree celsius and night time temperature of 18-20 degree celsius and atmospheric humidity level of 50-60 % and soil PH range of 5.5 to 6.8 being slightly or moderately acidic
In an open field cultivation @ 4 feet row to row distance and 1 foot plant to plant distnce , one acre of land is planted with total plant population of 11,110 seedlings
35 days old seedlings are planted after seed treatment with fungicide to prevent root rot disease after Transplanting in the main field
The transplanting was done on December 25 th and flowering was noticed on February first week .
Out of total fertilizer recommendation of 100 :60:60 kgs of NPK per acre , 75 % of phosphate fertilizer was applied in basal application before last ploughing and remaining fertilizers were applied as water soluble fertilizers through drip irrigation system ( fertigation )
Cut worms and thrips and mite were major pests and were prevented by periodical monitoring and spray of pesticide
19:19:19 NPK , Potassium nitrate and calcium nitrate water soluble fertilizers, panchagavya, cow urine and planofix and micro nutrients were sprayed as foliar application through leaves to keep the growth steady and healthy
Besides above inputs , 10 MT of farmyard manure , Neem cake, Bio fetilizers like Azospirillum, phosphobacteria, Pseudomonas bio pesticide were applied after mixing it with Powdered farmyard manure .
Best growth and yield were obtained when cultivation of capsicum was done @ 60:40 organic and Inorganic nutrients ratio..
Growth stage of capsicum is divided into following phases
1.Transplanting to establishment phase – 10 days
2.Vegetative phase- Production of branches and leaves – 30 days
3.Flower initiation to first picking stage – 30 days
4.Harvesting stage – 95 days
Total crop duration is 165 days and it can be extended upto 240 to 300 days under favorable climatic condition / shadenet/ polyouse/ green house condition
Training and pruning of capsicum plants – At 5 or 6 th internode tip of the plant is pinched and side branches are allowed . Only two strong side branches are allowed to grow and again each of these two side branches are pinched at the tip thus allowing each to produce 2 more additional branches . This will give rise to 4 branches per capsicum plant . After one month time , pruning is done by removing weak branches from the nodes of each branch at the interval of 8-10 days . The capsicum plants are staked properly or supported with twine to the roof of the shadenet house . The plant grows to the height of 10 feet in life time . Every weak and twisted and malformed fruits are removed to allow healthy fruits develop in size and weight
In an acre 11,110 plants @ 4 branches per plant will give rise to total 44,440 stems . Each branch produce about 12 number of fruits with an average individual fruit weight of 150 grams thus producing around 80 MT of fruit yield per acre
@ the selling price of Rs. 25 / kg , 80,000 kgs of capsicum fruits brings about Rs.20 lac per acre per season
But extra care should be taken in regard to mulching sheet to cover planting beds, drip irrigation , Fertilizer nutrients managements and pest management
To control the pest and disease right from nursery stage is most important to produce healthy crop . The possible pest and disease that can damage the capsicum plant is
1.Root rot – During transplanting and early seedlings stage
2. Defoliator – makes holes in the leaves by feeding on the leaf surface and leaf axil near growing points
3.Fruit borer – making holes in the capsicum fruits
4. Leaf spot – fungal disease causing spots on leaves
5.Powdery mildew disease – Leaves are covered with while pustules of fungus
6. Thrips and mites and aphids – Feeds on under surface of leaves making the plant sick
7.Virus – makes the leaves little and whole plants unproductive
In some location where prevailing weather is favorable , farmers can even grow capsicum in open field cultivation and harvest about 40 MT of capsicum fruits without difficulties
But open field capsicum fetch lesser price compared to shadenet/ polyhouse capsicum ..however the gross income @ Rs. 15 per kg for about 40,000 kgs should bring you per acre income of Rs.6,00,000 in a season .
The yield of capsicum can be maximized by using appropriate crop geometry like double row planting and decreasing the plant to plant spacing . The plant population is determined based on the soil fertility status and type of cultivation practices followed