CHILLIES BASIC Introduction Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.; Capsicum frutescene L.), also called red pepper’, is an important cash crop in India and is grown for its pungent fruits, which are used both green and ripe (the latter in the dried form) to impart pungency to the food. As a condiment, it has become indispensable in every Indian home. It is also used medicinally, and in chutnies and pickles. The pungency is due to the active principle `capsicin’ contained in the skin and the septa of the fruit. The world consumption of chillies and paprika is going up due to the increasing popularity of ethnic foods. The increased availability of oleoresins and spice oils of chilli has also enhanced its consumption in various food preparations. India is the largest producer of chillies in the world but its production pattern is highly erratic.   Area Of Cultivation The chilli crop is grown from almost the sea-level up to an altitude of 1,500 metres in tropical and subtropical regions, with an annual rainfall of 60-150 cm. In India, chillies are now grown in almost all parts. At present, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal account for 85.8 per cent of the total area and 89.3 per cent of the total output of chillies in the country. Chilli is cultivated in Guntur, Warangal, Khammam, Krishna, Hyderabad, Pundur, Nizamabad, Cuddapah, Rajahmundry and Nellore districts in Andhra Pradesh; Hubli, Gadag and Byadgi in Karnataka; and Nashik, Ahmednagar, Sholapur, Aurangabed, Nanded, Amravati and Lasalgaon in Maharashtra. In Punjan and Haryana, chilli is cultivated in Amritsar, Nabha, Patiala, Sunam and Samna; in Uttar Pradesh in Bareily and Khurja; and in Tamil Nadu in Tuticorin and Salem. In India, chilli is being cultivated mostly as a rain-fed crop therefore its yield fluctuates from year to year and is generally poor. Recently, its production has been taken up in irrigated areas in non-traditional states like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh also where the yield has been better which is likely to boost its output in the coming years.   Season The chill crop does well in the tropical and the sub tropical regions with annual rainfall of 60-150 cms. Very high rainfall during its growth is harmful. When grown in the hot weather or in lower-rainfall tracts, it is cultivated as an irrigated crop. Normally the sowing is done in Sept-Oct and plucking in January. The chilly plant lasts for one season only. It is plucked 3 to 4 times in the season.   Soil The rain-fed crop does well on deep, fertile, well-drained black cotton soils. In ill-drained soils, the plants shed their leaves and turn sickly even with temporary water-logging. Under irrigation and good manuring, excellent crops can be raised in sandy and light alluvial loams as well as in red loamy soils.   Rotation Under rain-fed conditions, the crop is rotated with jowar, ragi, cotton, groundnut and castor. As an irrigated crop, it is grown in rotation with sugarcane, turmeric, ragi, maize or with any of the vegetables. Since the pests and diseases are common to chilli, brinjal and potato it is not advisable to include them in a rotation. The irrigated chilli crop is sometimes grown mixed with garden crop in northern India, it is sometimes allowed to grow as a stand-over crop for one or two seasons. The winter crop is planted from July to September and the summer crop in February and March. Whereas these are the two important seasons for its cultivation, a third crop, known as the mid-season (May-June) crop, is also taken in certain parts of the country.   Cultivation The land is ploughed and harrowed 3 or 4 times to obtain a fine tilth. About 100 cartloads of farmyard manure or compost per hectare are applied at the last ploughing. The land for irrigated chilli is laid out into beds, 2-3 square metres, or is made into ridges ˝ to 1 metre apart. Some farmers also do sheep-penning and pen about 5,000 sheep per hectare, in addition to the application of manure.   Fertilizer And Nutrient Management Green-manuring is recommended for the areas of assure rainfall and also for the irrigated crop. In addition, 60 kg of N, 30 kg of P2O5 and 50 kg of K2O and 50 kg of K2O per ha for the irrigated crop are applied as a basal dressing.   Planting The chilli is generally transplanted, though direct sowing is also done in certain parts of the country, especially is Andhra Pradesh. Seeds taken from healthy, well-matured fruits selected for the purpose are mixed with ashes and sown evenly in well-mannered nursery- beds. Beds are generally 1-2 m wide and 15 cm high, with channels between the beds to facilitate the drainage of excess water. About 110-1200 g of seeds sown in 0.01 ha will give sufficient seedlings to transplant in one hectare. The treatment of seed with Coercion or Agoras GN, as a plant-protection measure against seed-borne diseases, is desirable. The seed is protected from the sun with thin mulch of straw or leaves. The mulch –is removed on the completion of germination in about 7-10 days. The seedlings are irrigated every day and manured either with ammonium sulphate or with some oilcake. Spraying the crop with 1% Bordeaux mixture or some other copper fungicide during the third week after sowing is thinned, if necessary, and those growing too tall are sometimes topped. The seedlings are ready for transplanting in 40-45 days. They are generally transplanted on a cloudy evening preceding rain, or when it is actually drizzling. A shower at or after transplanting helps the seedlings to take a quick foothold; in the absence of it, a light watering is given. Seedlings are planted 45-60 cm apart in straight row ˝ to 1 m apart. In Karnataka, furrows, 60 cm apart, are opened with a country-plough along as well as across the field and two good seedlings; along with a handful of rotted cattle-dung, are planted at each point of intersection. For the irrigated crop, seedlings are planted along the water-line on one side of the ridges made 25-45 cm apart. Similarly, in beds a spacing of 45-60 cm is adopted. The irrigated crop is weeded and hand-hoed 3 or 4 times. Irrigation is given at 7-10 day intervals, depending on the season and the crop growth. The rain-fed crop is given 2 or 3 hoeing with bullock-drawn implements and sometimes earthed up to help the surplus rain-water to flow freely. The crop responds well to good cultivation, irrigation and manuring. The rain-fed crop is top-dressed with 20 kg of N per ha to be drilled in between the rows on the 45th day after planting, preferably a good shower. For the irrigated crop, 100-140 kg of N in 4-6 split doses, followed by a copious irrigation at fortnightly intervals, starting from the 45th day of planting is recommended to be top dressed.   Harvesting The crop becomes ready for harvesting in about 3/1/2 months after planting. The picking of ripe fruits continues for about 2 months and about 6-10 pickings are taken. If there is a demand for green chillies, the first one or two pickings are taken for this purpose. The summer crop is wholly disposed of as green chillies. Ripe fruits are picked along with stalks and are heaped indoors for 3 or 4 days for the partially ripe fruit to develop the proper red colour. They are then dried in the sun for 4 to 5 days, depending upon weather conditions and are graded for size and colour before marketing. Unripe chillies are sometimes boiled and dried for domestic consumption. Commercially, there are various grades, such as the first sort, the second sort, mixture, etc. Grades, such as special, medium and fair are also adopted. Good fruit length, shining red colour, high pungency and strong attachment of the calyx are the important factors, which the merchants consider for fetching a high price. In the USA and other countries, there is a liking for stalkless chilli pods of deep red and glossy pericarp. Artificial drying favours the retention of the deep and red colour and smooth and glossy pericarp, as the produce is dehydrated within a short period of 18 hours. Pods of `G-3’, which have a cup-shaped calyx and compressed base are reported retained intact since the thalamus portion, which is compressed, prevents shedding.