What Are the Prospects for Chili Pepper Cultivation in 2020? Key Cultivation Techniques Explained

Chili pepper is one of the most common seasonings in daily life, and in provinces such as Hunan, Guizhou and Sichuan, chili pepper has even become a main ingredient. So what are the prospects for growing chili peppers in 2020? How should chili peppers be grown?

1. What are the prospects for growing chili peppers in 2020?

Chili peppers grow fairly quickly and have strong adaptability, making them relatively simple to cultivate and very well suited to growing. In 2019, chili pepper prices on the market rose to a certain extent, and in many places chili peppers were in short supply, so prices are not expected to fall back rapidly in 2020, which means the prospects for growing chili peppers are also very good.

2. How should chili peppers be grown?

1. Fertilizing

Apply rotted compost as a base fertilizer, at 5000 kg per mu, along with 30-40 kg of superphosphate. Mix 1-3 kg of magnesium sulfate or 20 kg of potassium sulfate into the base fertilizer. Before preparing the land in spring, apply it all by broadcasting and by trenching, with 2/3 broadcast and the other 1/3 placed in trenches. Where plastic film is used as mulch, the nitrogen fertilizer rate should be reduced by 20% compared with no mulching, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be increased appropriately.

2. Land preparation and making beds

When preparing the land, harrow as you plow so that the soil is loose and fine and the bed surface is flat without hollows. When laying the film, pull the plastic film tight so that there are no gaps between the film and the bed surface, and firm the soil down at both ends. If the film is damaged, seal it tightly with soil. To prevent the film from loosening or wrinkling, the bed surface can be pressed with a roller before the film is laid. If weeds are plentiful, herbicide film can be used or herbicide can be sprayed before laying the film.

3. Transplanting

There are two methods for mulching chili peppers with plastic film: first laying the film and then transplanting, or first transplanting and then laying the film. With first transplanting and then laying the film, after watering at transplanting and waiting for the ground to dry slightly, the seedlings are set out according to the spacing between plants and rows, cross-shaped transplanting holes are cut in the corresponding positions in the film, the seedlings are passed through the holes, and then the film is laid flat over the low raised beds and pressed firmly with soil around the edges. This method is fast for transplanting, but it easily damages the seedling leaves, and the bed surface is not flat. With first laying the film and then transplanting, transplanting holes are dug according to the plant and row spacing, the soil in the holes is taken out, the seedlings are planted, and the film near the holes is pressed down with soil.

Building on plastic film mulching, an improvement has been made by using low aboveground covers, that is, propping the film up to a certain height to form a small arch tunnel about 30 cm high. This allows transplanting 5-10 days earlier than with plastic film mulching. When transplanting, high beds 20 cm tall and 70 cm wide (with a 30 cm ditch width) can also be made, two deep furrows opened on the bed, base fertilizer applied and seedlings planted, and then small arch frames inserted and covered with film.

4. Watering

Plastic film mulching can reduce water evaporation, so the amount of irrigation should be reduced in the early stage of chili pepper growth to avoid lowering the soil temperature through excessive watering. In the middle and late stages of plant growth, because mulching raises the soil temperature and promotes rapid growth, leaf area increases and water evaporation is greater, so the amount of irrigation and the number of waterings should be increased to prevent drought stress from causing premature aging and reduced yields. When watering chili peppers, small amounts of frequent irrigation should be maintained, and flooding irrigation should be avoided.

5. Fertilizing

Base fertilizer cannot meet the needs of chili peppers throughout the entire growing period, so 2-3 topdressings should be carried out in the middle stage, combined with irrigation in the bed furrows, applying chemical fertilizers and human and animal manure. In addition, potassium dihydrogen phosphate and urea can be used for foliar feeding. If the plants are severely deficient in nutrients, the film can be removed or cut open in the middle and late stages for root-zone irrigation and topdressing; at this point the plants have already closed the rows, so root growth will not be affected.