Key Points of High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for Autumn Planting of Thai Pepper 304

I. Biological Characteristics

"Thai Pepper 304" was introduced from Thailand by Guangzhou Nangang Seedling Co., Ltd. The "Thai Pepper 304" plant has the characteristics of strong growth vigor, strong continuous fruiting ability, long harvest period, heat tolerance, low-temperature tolerance, drought tolerance, high resistance to viral diseases and phytophthora blight, and wide adaptability. Its fruit is long horn-shaped, with a fruit length of about 25 cm, green skin, long and straight fruit shape, smooth and thick fruit surface, a single fruit weight of 60-70 g, and a yield of up to 5000 kg per mu. It has moderate spiciness and is tolerant to storage and transportation. It is a new pepper variety for export and foreign exchange earning.

II. Timely Sowing and Cultivation of Strong Seedlings

Seedbed Preparation

The seedbed should be selected as loam soil that is loose, fertile, high in organic matter content, free of diseases and insect pests, and on high and dry terrain. Disinfect the seedbed 7-10 days before sowing. Spray with 65% zineb wettable powder or 50% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 200-400 times dilution, then cover tightly for 3-4 days. After that, open the shed for 4-5 days before sowing.

Seed Treatment

Many pepper diseases can be carried by seeds, so seeds should be disinfected before sowing.

① Hot water seed soaking

Place seeds that have been soaked in natural cold water for 2 hours into warm water at 55°C-60°C (2 parts boiling water + 1 part cold water). During this time, add boiling water 1-2 times, maintain a constant temperature for 15-20 minutes, then germinate and sow.

② Chemical disinfection treatment

Place seeds that have been soaked in cold water for 2 hours by the previous method into a 1% copper sulfate solution and soak for 15 minutes, then rinse clean with water before germinating. Germination method: wrap the soaked seeds in cloth and place them in a place at about 30°C to germinate; the heat energy of an electric lamp can be used.

III. Seedling Stage Management

The autumn seedling-raising period of "Thai Pepper 304" coincides with the high-temperature season, so attention should be paid to cooling and humidity control:

Cooling. After sowing, cover with a shade net or straw to lower the temperature, and gradually remove it after seedlings emerge in 5-7 days.

Humidity control. According to soil moisture conditions, appropriately control the frequency of watering to reduce the occurrence of diseases.

Seedling disease control. For damping-off and seedling blight during the seedling stage, use propamocarb for root drenching or thiophanate-methyl for spray control. For gray mold, use procymidone for spray control. For phytophthora blight, use oxadixyl for spray control.

Standards for strong seedlings

At transplanting, plant height about 15 cm, 8-10 true leaves, generally about 25-30 days, preferably with 80%-90% flower buds visible (not open), thick stems, deep green leaves, well-developed root system, and no diseases or insect pests.

IV. Reasonable Close Planting

"Thai Pepper 304" has a long flowering and fruiting period and high yield, so loam soil with high organic matter content, deep soil layer, strong water and fertilizer retention capacity, good drainage and irrigation, and without Solanaceae crops planted in the past 2-3 years should be selected as the cultivation soil. Adopt deep-ditch and high-bed cultivation. Generally, make beds at 110-120 cm (including one ditch side), with a ditch width of 20 cm and a depth of about 15 cm. Apply sufficient base fertilizer, level the bed surface, and plant double rows with double plants, with a plant-row spacing of 50 cm × 30-40 cm, and preferably 3000 plants per mu.

V. Scientific Fertilization

According to the fertilizer absorption characteristics of "Thai Pepper 304", 60%-75% of the total fertilizer amount should be used as base fertilizer, mainly nitrogen and potassium fertilizers, supplemented by phosphate fertilizer. Generally, apply 2500 kg of decomposed residue manure and 20-30 kg of superphosphate per mu. Ten days before planting, apply by trenching and burying. From surviving after planting to before flowering and fruiting, fertilizer and water application should be controlled for seedling hardening. If soil moisture is insufficient, a small amount of diluted manure water can be watered to benefit root growth and development, prevent excessive stem and leaf growth, and promote earlier flowering and fruiting. According to relevant surveys: the main nutrients absorbed by pepper are nitrogen: phosphorus pentoxide: potassium oxide at 1:0.24:0.91. The absorption peak is at the full fruiting stage, while the nutrient-sensitive period is in the early growth stage. After entering the flowering and fruiting stage, for those with greater fertilizer and water demand, holes can be opened on the bed surface, and 60% human and livestock manure fertilizer can be heavily applied 1-2 times, with an additional potassium fertilizer application of 2-3 kg per mu.

VI. Bed Surface Mulching

After "Thai Pepper 304" is planted and survives the seedling recovery period, as the plant grows and develops, the temperature gradually rises, light gradually intensifies, and evaporation is large. In order to reduce the impact of high temperature and drought, combined with intertillage and weeding, cover the bed surface with rice straw to prevent weed growth, lower soil temperature, maintain soil moisture, promote growth, and produce more flowers and fruits.

VII. Pest and Disease Control

"Thai Pepper 304" is highly disease-resistant, but attention should still be paid to the main pests and diseases of pepper.

The main diseases include phytophthora blight, southern blight, anthracnose, viral diseases, etc. The main insect pests include aphids, small cutworms (soil cutworms), red and white spiders, and tobacco budworms, etc. In control, the principle of "prevention first, integrated control" should be adhered to, field management should be done well, and the disease resistance of plants should be improved.

Chemical control

For pepper phytophthora blight, use 64% oxadixyl at 400-500 times dilution, or 58% metalaxyl mancozeb at 600-800 times dilution, spraying once every 7-10 days. For gray mold, use 50% procymidone or 50% iprodione at 1500-3000 times dilution, spraying once every 7-10 days. For southern blight, in the early stage of disease, use 20% quintozene to prepare medicinal soil, and scatter 0.5-0.8 kg of pesticide per mu around the root crown. For anthracnose, spray with 70% thiophanate-methyl at 1000 times dilution or 65% zineb at 500 times dilution. For tobacco budworm, spray with deltamethrin at 600-800 times dilution. For red and white spiders, spray with 10% liuyangmycin at 1000 times dilution.

VIII. Harvesting

Harvesting of "Thai Pepper 304" should take into account both yield and economic benefits. Generally, harvest when the fruit is fully expanded, the skin color turns deeper, and the fruit is firm and glossy, once every 4-5 days.