Field management methods for chili peppers after waterlogging

In July, our province experienced heavy rainfall, and most farmland had water accumulation in the fields, which also affected chili pepper production to some extent. The current focus of field management should be on protecting roots, promoting plant growth, and preventing flower drop, fruit drop, leaf drop, and pests and diseases.

I. Drainage and waterlogging reduction

Chili peppers are drought-tolerant but water-sensitive crops. Encountering flood disasters during the fruit expansion stage, especially flooding irrigation, is the main cause of large-scale death of chili peppers. Flooding irrigation over the ridge backs is strictly prohibited. If there is water accumulation, drain it immediately, and ensure drainage occurs with every rainfall.

II. Ridging and topdressing

Before the chili pepper rows close, soil should be hilled up in time to protect the roots and raise high ridges. Hilling up soil and raising high ridges in the field can both prevent plants from lodging and facilitate drainage and waterlogging prevention during rainy days. When hilling up soil, combine with topdressing, applying 20 kg per mu of N, P, K ternary compound fertilizer. For dry chili varieties, the grown first fruit and second fruit should be removed in time to prevent plant exhaustion, while for fresh chili varieties, marketable fruits should be harvested in time to increase yield.

III. Drying along the ridges

Due to continuous overcast and rainy weather, for plots where plants have severe flower drop and leaf drop from prolonged rain erosion, when the weather improves and there are more than 3 consecutive sunny days, the soil at the base of the chili pepper stems can be dug open along the ridges to a depth of 10 cm and left to dry for 1 day, which can effectively improve soil permeability and promote root development. On the second day, refill the soil properly, and at the same time spray 1 g of "920" per mu diluted in 50 kg of water to promote new leaf growth.

IV. Pest and disease control

If continuous overcast and rainy weather occurs, chili pepper roots are prone to rot and some diseases may be induced, such as leaf mold and phytophthora blight. The main diseases of hot peppers include viral disease, anthracnose, bacterial spot, phytophthora blight, and bacterial wilt. The following can be used respectively for spray control: 20% Virus A 700-fold solution, 70% thiophanate-methyl 1500-fold solution or 80% anthracnose Fumei 1000-fold solution, 60% DTM 1500-fold solution or 77% Kocide 1000-fold solution, 58% metalaxyl-mancozeb 400-fold solution or 72.2% Previcur 1500-fold solution, 14% copper ammonia complex 1000-fold solution or 72% agricultural streptomycin 3000-fold solution. The main insect pests of hot peppers include cotton bollworm, tobacco budworm, aphids, and red spider mites. Rotting and massive fruit drop caused by insect damage in chili peppers is often the main cause of yield reduction. In production, the period before pest larvae enter the chili pepper fruits is the best time for pest control. During this period, high-efficiency, low-toxicity pesticides with good effects on cotton bollworm and tobacco budworm should be sprayed in time, such as: chlorfluazuron, Dupont Avaunt, BT, etc. For aphids and red spider mites, imidacloprid, Baiman Kuaisha, or Saomanjing can be selected respectively for spray control. Zhang Cuiyun