🌶 Chilli

Cultivation, Important Point, Pests

Botanical Name: Capsicum annum
Family: Solanacae
Origin: Maxico
India is largest producer of chillies in the world accounting for 45 % of total area under cultivation.
Chilli and Capsicum both belong to same family as well as same spp. that is Capsicum annum.
Capsicin is pungent principle found in chilli.
Green chilli retard cancer due to natural enzyme Asperginase
C. annum and C. fruitescence have white flower while C. pubescence have purple flowers.

India is a major producer, consumer and exporter of chilli in the world
Andhra Pradesh is pioneer in chilli production.
Long dry periods are likely to result in flower shedding and fruit fall.
June - October is the major chili growing period in South India.
Dry chilli generally contains about 6% stalks + 40% pericarp + 54% seeds.
7 g good quality seed provides 100 plants.
Chilli has bidirectional root system.
Chilli is richest source of Vitamin C.

Capsicum Varieties

Introduced
- California wonder
- Yolo Wonder
- World beater
- Chinese Giant
- Golden wonder
- Bullnose
- Sweet Banana
Selection
- Arka Mohini
- Arka Gaurav
- Arka Basant
Public Sector Hybrid
- Pusa Deepti
- Green Gold
Private Sector Hybrid
- Early Bounty
- Bharat
- India
- Lario
- Hira
Pusa Meghdoot: First F1 hybrid by public sector.
About 90% of the the capsaicin in chilli has been noticed in placenta, connecting seed with pericarp.

Anthracnose/die back due to fungus: Colletotrichum capsic
Vitamin present in chilli is Vitamin P (flavonoids or bioflavonoids).
NAA (Planofix) @ 10 ppm and Triacontanol is used to control fruit drop.
Capsicum annum (Shimla Mirch) also known as sweet pepper.
To prevent fruit rot should be used Calcium nitrate (CN) @ 1 litre/ha or broadcasting about 25 kg/ha.

Selection
- Kalyanpur Yellow
- Sabour Angar
- Arka Lohit
- Bhagyalaxmi
- Sindhur
Hybrid
- G-S
- Bhaskar
- NP-46-A
- Punjab lal
- Pusa Jwala: NP-46-A x Puri Red
- Pant-C-1: NP-46-A x Khandari
- Andhra Jyoti — Cherry type fruits
Mutant: MDU-1
Private sector hybrid
- Tejawini
- Champian
- Gayatri
- Agni
- Delhi hot
- Skyline
Public Sector Hybrid
- CH-1 → Released by PAU - Ludhiana using male sterile line.
Fruit rot resistant variety K-2.
Leaf curl resistant variety — Pusa Jwala, Pusa Sadabahar, Pant-C-1
15 Irrigations are required in capsicum.
Leaf curl, TMV, wilt and dieback resistant variety → Punjab Lal, Punjab Surakh → Multiple disease Resistance.
Bacterial wilt resistant variety → Utkal Rashmi, Arka Gauray.
Jwalamukhi: Suitable for HDP
Arka lohit: Tolerant to powdery mildew
Bhaskar: Yellow anther type, Resistant to thrips and mites
India’s share in total export of chilli in world is 4%
Rains during Dec-Nov, result in the incidence of powdery mildew.
Opening of flower at 5 am.
Pusa Sadabahar variety of C. fruitescence is perennial in nature.
3-10 days for sun drying to lower moisture from 80 to 10%.
Punjab Lal: for colour extraction.
HP - leading supplier of capsicum in off season.
Green to dry chilli ratio = 10 : 1
Chilli variety - CH-1 → developed by using Genetic Male sterile (GMS) line.
Excess of N with water stress: Blossom end rot of fruits of capsicum.
Variety with thin pericarp, less seeds, strong spike is suitable for drying.

Chilli thrips
- Major pest of chilli is Thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis).
- Leaf curl of chilies: Viral, transmitted by thrips.
- Symptoms is the inward (upward) curling of leaves
White flies
- Bemisia tabaci
- It is responsible for transmission of chilli mosaic virus

Both white flies and thrips can be managed by spraying of any systemic insecticides i.e. Acephate @ 1.0 ml liter of water. Or Thiomethoxam @ 0.4 ml/liter spray or
Imidacloprid @ 0.5 ml liter of water with Streptocyclin @ 0.1 g /liter of water.