The Latest Pepper Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial
Pepper is an important spice crop native to India, also known as Guyue, Heichuan, and Baichuan. It is both a commonly used seasoning and possesses certain medicinal properties. Pepper is warm and hot in nature and can dispel cold. Pepper has preservative and antibacterial effects, and it can neutralize the toxins of fish, shrimp, and meat. There are many varieties of pepper, which can be broadly grouped into two types: the large-leaf type and the small-leaf type (which has stronger resistance).
Pepper's Growth Habits
Pepper grows in shaded forests. It grows slowly and is tolerant of heat, cold, drought, wind, and pruning, and it transplants easily. It is not tolerant of waterlogging. Fertile sandy loam is best for the cultivation soil, and drainage and light must be good. It is cultivated in Taiwan, China, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and other provinces and regions. It is native to Southeast Asia and is now widely planted in tropical regions.
Preparation Before Planting Pepper
1. Selection and planning of the pepper plot. Pepper fears water accumulation, so gentle slopes, well-drained flat land, and soil with good permeability should be chosen for planting. The area of the pepper plot should not be too large; generally 3 to 5 mu is suitable. The pepper plot is best rectangular, running east to west, with shelterbelts or retained native forest strips around it. The pepper plot should have a drainage system to remove standing water. Dig a large ditch 2 m from the shelterbelt and 2.5 m from the pepper on all sides of the pepper plot, with a ditch width of about 100 cm and a depth of 80 cm; within the plot, set a longitudinal ditch about every 15 plants, 60 cm wide and 50 cm deep; set small ditches between rows so they interconnect, to facilitate drainage and reduce water damage and disease.
2. Land clearing. First mark out the shelterbelt, then deep-plow 30 cm and remove all stumps, roots, debris, and so on from the plot. For slopes below 5°, build large terraces with a face width of 6 m planting two rows. For slopes above 5°, build small terraces planting one row. Dig a small drainage ditch on the inner side of the terrace. On flat land, gentle slopes, and large terraces, ridge planting can also be used, which helps with drainage and disease prevention. The planting hole is 80 cm wide and 60 cm deep; when digging the hole, place the topsoil and subsoil separately. After one month of sun exposure, backfill the soil, apply 30 kg of fully decomposed, clean, finely crushed organic fertilizer and 0.25 to 0.5 kg of superphosphate, mix thoroughly with the topsoil and firm it, and make a mound ready for planting.
3. Digging holes. Generally the spacing between plants and rows is 2×2.5 to 3 m; for fertile soil, 2×3 m can be used, and for poor, thin soil, 2×2 m can be used. The hole is 80 cm wide and 60 cm deep; when digging the hole, place the topsoil and subsoil separately. After one month of sun exposure, backfill the soil (topsoil first); before backfilling, apply 5 kg of Nuobi biological organic fertilizer (or 10 kg of fermented, decomposed organic fertilizer containing phosphate), mix thoroughly with the topsoil and firm it, and make a mound ready for planting.
4. Supports. Nowadays stone posts are generally used. They are 12 to 15 cm thick and about 2.5 to 3 m long (including 50 to 70 cm for the part planted in the soil). Trees provided for pepper to climb and grow on are called living supports. The living supports currently used include coral tree, red cedar, cowtail, pingpo tree, betel nut, coconut, jackfruit, and so on. When using living supports, attention should be paid to pruning and fertilizer management. Another kind of support is the stone post. Generally, stone posts are 13 to 15 cm thick at the base and 10 to 12 cm thick at the top, about 3 m long (including 70 cm for the part planted in the soil), and are relatively uniform in size. If the diameter of the stone post near the ground is less than 12 cm, it is easily broken by strong typhoons.
Pepper Propagation and Seedling Raising
Pepper propagation is divided into two types: sexual propagation and asexual propagation. Asexual propagation is mainly cuttings propagation, which is the most commonly used propagation method in production. Sexual propagation is only used for selection and breeding and is rarely used in production, so sexual propagation is not discussed here.
1. Preparing the seedling bed. Choose a wind-sheltered environment, flat land or gentle slope, close to a water source, with fertile soil and well-drained sandy loam as the seedling bed. One month before raising seedlings, deep-plow and harrow finely, remove stones and impurities, fully sun-expose the soil, level and refine it, then open ditches and form beds according to a bed width of 100—120 cm and a height of 25—35 cm, with a ditch width of 40 cm; the bed length depends on the length of the seedling bed, and drainage ditches should be opened around it.
2. Cuttings propagation. Select normally growing 1—2.5-year-old young plants as mother plants; between May and June, cut from the mother plants main vines with a vine age of 4-6 months, a vine thickness of more than 0.6 cm, well-developed live aerial roots at each node, no pests, diseases, or mechanical damage, and with the top two nodes each bearing one branch and 12-15 leaves; then cut them into 30-40 cm long cuttings with 5-7 nodes, keeping two branches on each cutting and removing excess branches. Cuttings should be cut and trimmed as you go; dip the cut end in water, or soak the lower vine nodes of the cutting without branches in water for 15-20 minutes. It is best to cut the cuttings and raise seedlings on the same day. It is suitable to take cuttings and raise seedlings on cloudy days or on sunny afternoons when the temperature drops and light weakens. On the prepared seedling bed surface, open furrows at a row spacing of 25-30 cm, then place the cuttings on the surface at 8-10 cm, keep the aerial roots close to the sloped soil, keep the first node below the top exposed above the ground, then cover with soil from bottom to top (using soil from digging the second row) and press firm, and water promptly; when watering, raise and water as you go, and finally build a shade frame over the bed, maintaining a shade level of 80—90%, to create a moist, cool environmental condition and increase the survival rate.
3. Seedling management. During the pepper seedling period, nursery management should be strengthened. On sunny days, water once a day to keep the soil moist. After the cuttings root (generally 10—15 days), the number of waterings can gradually be reduced, watering once every 2—3 days. In the first 20—25 days of seedling raising, when the cuttings have grown new roots and the top two nodes begin to grow, they can be dug up and moved to the pepper plot for planting. If the seedling period is too long, the roots are numerous and long, the new vines emerge slender, and roots and vines are easily damaged at planting, affecting survival and growth. When lifting seedlings, first soak the seedling bed thoroughly before digging to avoid damaging the roots. Cut off overly long roots and new vines, leaving only 5—10 cm and 2—3 nodes of the new main vine, to favor plant growth; it is best to dig and plant on the same day.
4. Nutrient bag cuttings seedling raising. Nutrient bag seedlings are convenient for long-distance transport and can increase the transplant survival rate of seedlings. When raising seedlings, if the seedlings are for sale or the nursery is far from the pepper plot, it is best to raise nutrient seedlings.
① Preparing nutrient soil: Preparing nutrient soil is the key to cultivating nutrient bag seedlings. The quality of the nutrient soil preparation directly affects the growth, development, and quality of the seedlings. The substrate used for preparing nutrient soil depends on the conditions around the nursery; generally forest soil mixed with wood ash plus an appropriate amount of calcium superphosphate, with a ratio of 10:1:0.2, is suitable. The purpose is to make the nutrient soil sufficiently nutritious to meet the nutritional requirements during the seedling stage. In conjunction with preparing the nutrient soil, spray with 300-fold carbendazim or 500-fold thiophanate-methyl solution for soil disinfection.
② Bagging the nutrient soil: Sift the prepared nutrient soil through a fine iron sieve with 0.8 x 0.8 cm mesh, mix the materials evenly, fill them into plastic film bags of 10 x 13 cm, and then place them neatly on the seedling bed. The number of bags placed depends on convenience for management; generally 20 bags per row is suitable. Bags should be filled full and placed upright, pressed tightly together with no gaps. After the seedling bed is filled, surround the bags around the bed with soil to half the height of the bags, to maintain moisture and temperature in the bed; generally 110,000 bags are placed per mu.
③ One to two days after the nutrient soil is bagged and placed, cuttings can be inserted. When inserting, use a small wooden stick to make a small hole in the bag, and insert the prepared cutting along the hole. Then press the bag soil lightly with your hand so that the nutrient soil fully contacts the cutting, and water promptly; water as you insert, and afterward water once every other day or every 2-3 days. After the cuttings sprout and root, ensure the bag is moist and meets the water needed for growth. Finally, build a shade frame over the bed surface, maintaining a shade level of 80-85%, to create a moist, cool environmental condition and increase the survival rate of the seedlings.