Technology for off-Season Chili Cultivation

Cooperating agency for this topic:
Directorate General,
Horticulture and Variety Plant Production,
Ministry of Agriculture,
Jakarta, Indonesia, 2002-02-01

Chili (Capsicum annum) is a vegetable which sells for a good price in Indonesia (Fig. 1). Up to now, chili cultivation in Indonesia was seasonal, so that production and prices fluctuated markedly during the course of the year.

Generally, chili cultivation in Indonesia takes place early in the dry season. Production falls during the rainy season. To prolong the harvest season and stabilize prices, a system of off-season chili cultivation has been developed, using silver/black plastic mulch.

Adaptability of the Technology

This technology suits all sizes of farm, from small to large.

Advantages of the Technology

Chili production is stable throughout the year, instead of swinging between a surplus and a shortage. Prices also are more stable, while farmers gain additional income during the dry season.

The Technology

The Seed

Seeds must be ripe, clean, homogeneous, and free of pests and diseases. Ripe chili seeds should be red in color.

Growth Requirements

Chili plants grow best in a well-drained porous soil. The soil should be rich in organic matter, and not have too high a clay content. The pH should be around 5.5 - 6.8. Enough water should be available, but the soil should also have good drainage.

The Seedlings

The medium used to grow the seedlings is a mixture of fertile soil and manure, at a ratio of 1:1. Seedlings can be grown in a polyethylene (plastic) bag, or in a well-prepared seed bed.

To prepare the seed bed, the soil is cleaned of weeds and rubbish, and then ploughed. Clods of earth should be broken up by hand.

The seedlings should have plenty of light, but should be shaded from direct sun by a simple structure. The structure should be 1 - 2 m wide and 40 - 50 cm high. It has a roof of rice straw or similar materials. The sides are left open, to allow for good ventilation.

The seedlings should be watered every day, or as needed. When the seedlings are 25 - 30 days old (i.e. 25 - 30 days after sowing) they are ready to be transplanted.

Land Preparation

The soil is cleared and plowed. If the soil pH is low, dolomite or some other form of lime can be applied. If the soil is very acid, as much as 2 mt/ha of dolomite should be applied, together with manure or compost and a basal application of fertilizer. The basal dressing should be a well-mixed fertilizer containing urea (300 kg/ha), SP36 (250 - 300 kg/ha), and KCl (potassium chloride) (250 kg/ha). A raised bed is made for the transplanted seedlings. The bed should be 120 cm wide, with a shallow ditch 40 cm wide and 20 cm deep running either side of the raised bed.

Laying a Silver/Black Plastic Mulch

Around 12 rolls of mulch are needed per hectare. The mulch is silver on top, and black on the underside (Fig. 2). (The silver side reflects the light and repels insects, the dark underside controls weeds).

The mulch should be laid on the soil in the middle of the day and in full sunlight. The heat will soften the plastic, so it is easier to stretch. The plastic mulch should be spread tightly over the soil, with the silver side facing upwards.

The plastic should be pulled tightly down over the sides of the bed, and fastened in place using thin pieces of bamboo. These are about 40 cm long. They are bent in half, and pushed into the soil to hold the edges of the mulch at intervals of 50 cm. A cross is cut in the plastic mulch for a planting hole where each plant will grow.

Planting

Two rows of seedlings are planted in each bed. Seedlings should be planted 50 cm apart, with 70 cm between the rows. Transplanting is best done in the early morning or early evening, when it is cool.

Maintenance

Seedlings which have died or which are infected with disease should be replaced. Water is applied by pouring it into each planting hole. Water-shoots growing from beneath the main branches should be pruned.

Pest Control

Fruitfly can be controlled by using traps baited with eugenol methyl. Pests and diseases are controlled by applying the appropriate pesticides.

Harvest and Post Harvest

The first chilis can be harvested 60 or 70 days after transplanting. By this time, they will have turned a good red color (Fig. 3).

The packaging used for transportation should have air holes for ventilation. Alternatively, a sack made of netting can be used. Storage facilities must be dry and cool, with good ventilation.