Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
AFTER COMPLETING ONE LESSON IN THIS MODULE, YOU
HAVE LEARNED TO:
• Recognize the uses and importance of sweet
pepper as value added cultivation of pepper.
• Understand good agricultural practices to grow
sweet pepper.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
C. chinense
Sweet pepper is a type of pepper.
Sweet pepper provides vegetables
but also the pepper can be used for
pickle, spice, jelly, jam, and sauces.
Sweet Pepper-Ox Horn
Sweet pepper have also been widely
used for making salad and culinary
purposes.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Sweet pepper is medium thick flesh; matures from
pale green to yellow/orange to red; pendant pods;
green leaves; 24 to 45 inches tall; Late Season;
Uses: Prolific, Seasoning Pepper; smoky flavor of
Datil without the heat , yield 100kg/year or more.
C. annuum
Sweet peppers can be eaten raw, cooked, or
pickled. Not all sweet pepper varieties are mild
flavored; some can be spicy and hot
The pepper varied uses makes it highly attractive
for many developed and developing countries.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Climate and soil requirements
Sweet pepper grows best at 21–24°C. Growth and yields
suffer when temperatures exceed 27°C or drop below 18°C
for extended periods. Sweet pepper can tolerate daytime
temperatures over 30°C, as long as night temperatures are
within 21-24°C.
Peppers prefer a well-drained soil because they are very
sensitive to water logging. Soil pH should be between 5.5
to 6.8.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Climate and soil requirements
Irrigation and water management is critical with sweet
pepper. Sweet pepper will not tolerate drought. The need for
water is especially high while the plants are flowering and
setting fruit.
Flooded fields should be drained within 48 hours.
Otherwise, the pepper plants will soon die, as shown in this
photo above.
Furrow or drip irrigation are recommended. Sprinkler
irrigation should be avoided as wet leaves and fruits
promote disease development. If overhead irrigation must
be used, avoid late evening irrigation.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Sweet peppers come in many different colors,
including green, red, yellow, purple, white and
chocolate. Shapes range from spherical to bell
to elongated types.
Most sweet pepper varieties are adapted to the
cool, dry season when the environment for
production is favorable.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Sweet pepper varieties
Banana sweet pepper pk/20
• 85 days. Capsicum annuum. Plant produces
high yields of 6" long by 2" wide banana
shaped sweet peppers.
•Peppers turn from light green, to yellow, to
orange, to red when mature.
•They can be used at any stage of maturity.
The thick flesh and gets sweeter as they ripen.
•This plant is loaded with peppers! One of the
most popular sweet peppers in the USA. pk/20
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Sweet pepper varieties
Banana sweet pepper pk/10
• 65 days. Capsicum annuum. (F1) Plant produces
heavy yields of 8" long by 2" wide light yellow
banana shaped sweet peppers.
•Peppers will turn bright red when mature. Very
sweet.
•This is a high quality, heavy yielding variety.
Excellent for frying or pickling. A variety from the
USA. pk/10
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Sweet pepper varieties
Little Dickens sweet peppers
• 85 days. Capsicum annuum. Plant produces
good yields of large 2 ¼" long by 1 ¼" wide sweet
peppers.
•Peppers have thick wall and turn from green to
orange when mature.
•Beautiful ornamental pepper plant. Suitable for
home garden and market. pk/10
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Sweet pepper varieties
Capsicum Annuum USDA 339001 Sweet Pepper
• 85 days. Capsicum annuum.
•Plant produces good yields of 6" long by 1" wide
sweet peppers.
•Peppers turn from green to red when mature. Plant
has green stems, green leaves, and white flowers.
•United States Department of Agriculture, PI 339058.
A variety from Turkey. pk/20
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Sweet pepper varieties
Oranje paprika
• 70 days. Capsicum annuum. Plant produces
good yields of large 2 ¼" long by 1 ¼" wide sweet
peppers.
•This is a premium-quality ivory bell pepper with
3 to 4 lobes and blocky shape.
•It retains its creamy white color for an extended
period before turning
•Peppers have thick wall and turn from green to
orange when mature.
•Beautiful ornamental pepper plant. Suitable for
home garden and market. pk/10
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Sweet pepper varieties
BLUSHING BEAUTY HYBRID
• Sweet; Bell Type; 3.5 to 4 inches long by 3.5 to 4
inches wide; thick flesh; matures from pale yellow to
apricot-orange to red; pendant pods; green leaves;
•18 to 24 inches tall; Early Season; sweet, crispy
flesh; C.annuum
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Sweet pepper varieties
CALWONDER GOLDEN
• Sweet;
• Bell Type; 4 to 5 inches long by 3 to 4 inches wide;
thick flesh; matures from green to golden yellow;
•pendant pods; green leaves; 18 to 24 inches tall; Mid
Season; C.annuum.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Sweet pepper varieties
ACONCAGUA
• Sweet;
• Cubanelle/Italian Frying Type; 7 to 10 inches long
by 2 to 2.5 inches wide; medium thick flesh; matures
from pale green to red; pendant pods;
• light green leaves; 24 to 30 inches tall; Mid Season;
Uses: Large Stuffing, Roasting, Fried/Stir-Fried;
C.annuum
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Optimal soil temperature for germination is 28°C.
The soil should be watered to keep it moist but not
waterlogged.
Seed rate:
4.7 Ib of seeds are needed per acre to take care of
any seed problem and to establish 180,00 plants
per acre.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Sowing:
Seedling tray method. Fill the holes with a sterilized
medium that drains well, such as peat moss,
commercial potting soil, or a mixture of sand,
compost, and burnt rice hulls. We recommend a
mixture of 67% peat moss and 33% coarse vermiculite.
Sow 1-2 seeds per hole
Seedbed method. Choose a well-drained area not
recently cropped with a Solanaceous crop. Burning a
3-4 cm layer of rice straw on the seedbed before
sowing and forming a raised seedbed of 15 cm or
higher to improve drainage might reduce soilborne
disease problems.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Fertilizer application
Pepper plants should be fertilized with a combination of organic
(animal manure) and/or chemical fertilizers to produce high
yields.
Conducting a soil test is strongly recommended. In the tropics,
common fertilizer application rates are 140-200 kg N per
hectare, 60-140 kg P2O5 per hectare, and 140-180 kg K2O per
hectare.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Fertilizer application
Apply 40% of the inorganic N fertilizer before
transplanting. The remaining 60% should be applied in 3
equal amounts at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after transplanting.
Apply 50% of the P2O5 and K20 before planting. The rest
is applied 4 weeks after transplanting.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Crop Protection
Bacterial spot is a problem, especially during the
rainy season. Small spots develop on leaves. Later,
the leaves can turn yellow and drop. Corky lesions
develop on fruits. This disease is controlled by
using pathogen-free seed, rotating crops, and
spraying with copper fungicide mixes. Resistant
varieties are becoming available.
Bacterial spot
(Xanthomonas campestris)
leaf spots, fruit warts
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Crop Protection
Bacterial soft rot is a serious disease on fruit.
Infected fruits will collapse and hang like water-filled
bags. Management strategies include rotating crops,
using raised beds to enhance drainage, mulching to
reduce soil water splash, and harvesting fruits
carefully to avoid wounding.
Bacterial soft rot
(Erwinia carotovora)
collapsed fruit
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Crop Protection
Virus
(Several types)
mottling, distortion
Many viruses attack peppers. Some of the most
common are Tobacco Mosaic, Cucumber Mosaic,
Chili Veinal Mottle, and Pepper Mild Mottle.
Symptoms can be mosaic or mottling patterns on
leaves, distortion of foliage and fruit, and stunting of
plants. Many viruses can be prevented through the
use of resistant varieties. Another strategy is to
reduce their insect vectors. This is done by
removing weed hosts, spraying with insecticides,
and using mesh netting as barriers.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Cercospora Leaf Spot causes "frog-eyes" to
appear on foliage. This fungus is found during
rainy weather and when plants are spaced
close together. Fungicides can be used to
control this disease.
Cercospora
(Cercospora capsici)
leaf spotting
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Crop Protection
Tomato fruitworm bores inside fruits.
Chemical insecticides, Bacillus thuringiensis,
and parasitic wasps are used to control this
pest.
Tomato
fruitworm
(Helicoverpa
armigera)
boring into
fruit
Cotton
aphid
(Aphis gossypii)
sooty mold
Cotton aphids feed on the sap of leaves,
causing the foliage to curl. Aphids also
create a sugary substance that leads to
black sooty mold growth on foliage. Aphids
are controlled by the use of chemical
insecticides, reflective mulches, and crop
rotation.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Crop protection
Thrips also remove sap from foliage, causing
midveins to dry and leaves to cup upwards.
Thrips are managed by eliminating host
weeds, rotating crops, and spraying
insecticides.
Broad mites can be serious pests during hot
weather. The tiny pests feed on the
underside of leaves causing the foliage to
become dry and brittle. Fruits may be
scarred. Mites are managed by sowing
Broad mite
tolerant varieties, eliminating host weeds,
Thrips
(Polyphagotarson rotating crops, and spraying miticides.
(Several species)
emus latus)
scarred fruits
dried leaves
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
Harvesting
Sweet pepper fruits should be harvested when they
reach full size and firmness. They are usually
harvested before they begin changing color (reddening
or yellowing), unless they are intended for that
purpose.
Stems of pepper plants are very fragile so use a knife
when harvesting. Be careful not to damage the plants.
Most sweet pepper plants produce for 6-8 weeks until
they lose vigor.
Handle fruit carefully and pack uniformly. Keep the fruit
cool. If possible, store the fruit in a well-ventilated
location at cool (10ºC) temperatures and relative
humidity of 90-95%.
Module XII: Sweet Pepper
Lesson 1: Sweet Pepper
With this, Module 12 on Sweet pepper, and also this
course on chili pepper Production Practices concludes.
If you would like to check your understanding about
harvesting sorghum, please click on the “Exercise”
button given above.
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Click “Modules” button and select the Module
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