Common problems and solutions in wheat-intercropped Three-Cherry pepper cultivation

With the adjustment of the agricultural structure, Three-Cherry pepper began to be planted in Neihuang County in 1993, and by 2004 it had grown to 4300 hectares, with the most concentrated area being Lucun Township, where the planting area is about 2900 hectares, and a trading market covering 6.5 hectares, with an annual trading volume of 87 million t and an annual trading value of 29.58 million yuan, was established, achieving good economic and social benefits, but many problems still exist, restricting farmers' economic returns.

1 Problems existing in production

① Mixed and degraded varieties. Farmers mostly buy seed once and plant it for many years, and do not carry out plant selection, so that the rate of mixed plants in the field reaches more than 30%.

② Seedlings fail to meet the requirements for strong seedlings. Because the seedbed area is small, damping-off and Rhizoctonia rot are serious, causing the rate of leggy seedlings and diseased weak seedlings to reach as high as 45%.

③ Serious pests and diseases. In 2000, the rate of plants affected by sunscald and viral disease was 45%-55%, with a general yield reduction of 15%-20%. In 2001, the tea yellow mite broke out on a large scale, and because farmers mistakenly thought it was viral disease, they delayed the best period for control, so that affected plants reached 70%-80%, with a general yield reduction of 30%, and in severe cases 40%.

④ Poor fruit marketability. The fruit shape is uneven in length, uneven in thickness, and the color, besides deep red, also includes light red, yellow-red, and yellow-white, and there are also insect-damaged and diseased fruits.

2 Countermeasures

2.1 Select good varieties

Choose varieties with high purity and high yield, such as Japanese Tochigi Three-Cherry pepper, Bullet Head Three-Cherry pepper, Tianying pepper, etc. When buying seed, first look at the variety, second at the place of origin, and it is best to choose seed produced by research institutes and large seed companies. If saving seed, then before pulling up the plants, select plants with a compact plant type, many and concentrated fruits, and typical traits of the variety, to keep for use the following year; plant selection for self-saved seed can be carried out for at most 2 years.

2.2 Do a good job of four measures to cultivate disease-free strong seedlings

① Expand the seedbed area and apply sufficient base fertilizer. Every 667 sq m of field requires a seedbed area of 15-17 sq m; apply 0.2-0.3 kg of NPK compound fertilizer per 1 sq m, apply 1.5-2 kg of decomposed straw organic fertilizer, deep plow 20-25 cm, plow twice in succession, level and harrow finely to make beds, ensuring that the seedlings have sufficient nutritional area and nutrient supply.

② Seed disinfection. Before sowing, soak the seed in hot water at 55-60°C for 10-15 min, stirring constantly; when the water temperature drops to 25°C, stop stirring and soak for 6 h; after removing shriveled seeds, put the seeds into a 10% trisodium phosphate solution and soak for 20 min; after rinsing clean, germinate, which can kill pathogens and prevent viral disease.

③ Prepare medicated soil, apply as bottom layer and cover. For every 1 sq m of seedbed, use 8-9 g of "Duo, Di, Jia" mixed powder (3 parts 50% carbendazim, 2 parts 50% dexon, 1 part 50% thiophanate-methyl), mix 2/3 into the bed soil and 1/3 into the covering soil, and scatter it over the seedling bed after sowing. After watering the seedbed and before sowing, use 1 g of Lüheng No. 1 mixed with 3 kg of water to spray the bed surface; after sowing, cover the seeds with 1 g of Lüheng plus 15-20 kg of fine soil, which can play a role in preventing damping-off and Rhizoctonia rot.

④ Change broadcasting to placing. Find a straight wooden strip, nail in nails at 4 cm intervals, and nail a straight stick in the middle of the strip as a handle, then pull crisscross squares on the seedbed, place the seeds in the middle of the squares, ensuring the seedlings are neat and strong.

⑤ Standard for strong seedlings: plant height 15-20 cm, 12 leaves, deep green and thick color, stem thickness 3 mm, elastic to the touch, many white roots, and no pests or diseases.

2.3 Strengthen field management to strive for a high yield

① Plant early and appropriately increase planting density. Generally plant in early to mid-May. Two days before planting, spray with 300 times dilution of 5% Bingduqing; after lifting the seedlings, mix 1.5% agricultural streptomycin with clay at 1:50, add a small amount of water and mix into a paste to dip the roots, which can avoid the plants being infected by various viruses due to root injury, kill aphids, and promote new roots to help rapid recovery after transplanting. Plant double plants in the field, with a plant spacing of 15-20 cm, and plant 7500-8000 holes per 667 sq m.

② Intercrop corn. 7-10 days before harvesting wheat, along with irrigation, plant early-maturing corn beside the pepper rows at a plant spacing of 0.5-0.6 m, such as Zhengdan 958, Xiyu No. 3, Anyu No. 9, etc., thinning to a single plant. This helps shade the pepper and prevent sunscald and viral disease; with pepper and corn intercropping, cotton bollworm generally feeds only on the corn whorl, so that the damage rate of pepper is significantly reduced; it does not affect pepper yield and can also harvest corn to improve economic returns.

③ Pinch the growing tip at the right time and strengthen fertilizer and water management. After harvesting wheat, pinch the growing tip promptly; pinch small and pinch early, promote more side branches; strong seedlings can be pinched early, weak seedlings later; generally pinch when there are 18-20 leaves. After wheat harvest, cultivate the soil, open a furrow beside the pepper rows, and heavily apply post-wheat fertilizer, applying 7.5 kg of urea and 20 kg of NPK compound fertilizer per 667 sq m. In late July, apply 15 kg of compound fertilizer; in late August, apply 10 kg of compound fertilizer, in combination with irrigation, and apply deeply, strictly avoiding broadcast application, to ensure that the pepper has sufficient nutrient supply throughout the entire growth period.

④ Pest and disease control. After harvesting wheat, immediately use 2000 times dilution of 2.5% pifluxia, 750 times dilution of 2.5% deltamethrin wettable powder, 2000 times dilution of 2.5% Kung Fu, and 50% pirimicarb to eliminate aphids and whiteflies and prevent viral disease; afterward, depending on the occurrence of aphids, spray once every 7-10 days. Whether or not there are disease symptoms, persist in spraying once every 7-10 days with 600 times dilution of Bingdu K, 1 ampoule of 10% naphthaleneacetic acid ammonium injection plus 15 kg of water, 300 times dilution of 5% Bingduqing, and 400 times dilution of 20% Bingdu A, alternating the chemicals, for 5-6 consecutive sprays. To control sunscald, in addition to intercropping corn, from mid-July to early to mid-August, spray 0.5% calcium nitrate solution 2-3 times, once every 7-10 days. Many farmers mistakenly control the tea yellow mite as viral disease. The damage symptoms of the tea yellow mite are yellow-brown pepper, leaf margins curving toward the back, uneven leaf surface, young stems turning yellow-brown; when damage is severe, flowers and fruits drop to form a bald top, the fruit stalk and fruit turn yellow-brown, lusterless, growth stagnates, and they harden. When disease is found in individual field plots, use 2000 times dilution of 73% propargite, 1000 times dilution of 2% abamectin emulsifiable concentrate, and 3000 times dilution of 20% pyridaben for control. During the occurrence period, control once every 7-10 days, for 3-4 consecutive times. Focus spraying on the upper part of the plant, the backs of tender leaves, tender stems, unexpanded heart leaves, and tender buds at the nodes. Acaricides are generally not mixed with other insecticides. To control cotton bollworm, generally in late June, mid-to-late July, and mid-August, promptly inspect the field; once eggs or larvae are found, use 1 small packet of Wanling mixed with 15 kg of water, 800 times dilution of Lüfu, 300 times dilution of Bt emulsion, and 800 times dilution of 47% Lorsban for control. During the occurrence period, spray once every 5-7 days, for 2-3 consecutive times. The key is to completely eliminate them at the egg stage and before the 3rd-instar larvae.

2.4 Top the plants at the right time

The topping period is around September 10. If not topped, the fruits set late in the later period, and at harvest they are light red, purple, and more often green; after drying, the color is light, the skin is thin, the fruits are light, the quality is poor, the price is low, and economic returns decline.

2.5 Pull up the plants at the right time and harvest promptly

Pull up the plants from Cold Dew to Frost's Descent. It is also possible 7-10 days before pulling up the plants to spray 1000 times dilution of 40% ethephon on a sunny morning, promoting the conversion of nutrients to the fruits and helping the fruits turn red. During fruit harvesting, separate naturally mature fruits with normal shape from not fully mature green fruits and fruits that are too small or insect-damaged or diseased, to achieve high quality and a high price.