By Grace Adetutu
Hot pepper is in the family of vegetables widely used in many countries as spices and as addictive for industrial use.
The seeds are very paramount because they are the factors that determine the success and performance of the vision. If a grower fails in seeds selection, then they have failed in the project.
NALDA, through Ivy-hills MCS Investment during training of the farmers in Abuja, advised farmers that it is always important for growers not to compromise seeds quality, no matter how expensive it is.
Hot pepper belongs to the family of vegetables that understand nursery management before transplanting. Hot pepper like tomato can be nurtured in seeds trays or prepared beds, raised for a period of 30-35 days before transplanting.
Hot pepper production prefers secured environment with access to all the environmental conditions. It can be produced in any type of soil rich in organic materials with low soil temperature but preferably sandy loamy soil because of its porosity which allows fast roots penetration.
Land in the gardens can be prepared by clearing, tilling and beds formation. While spacing for hybrids peppers should be 50cm by 60cm, or preferably one in every sack or flower pot. Spacing is very important, with good Agronomic practice (GAP), most of the plant will be bushy competing for space and this will affect the performance of the fruits.
Hot pepper, like onion, requires regular weeding to create loose soil, aeration which fastens foliage development. Therefore, during crop protection and management, consult your agronomist in case of abnormality.
Apply NPK 20:10:10 or 15:15:15 fertilizer two weeks after transplanting repeat, after every three weeks. Hot pepper matures between 75-85 days after transplanting, depending on the variety. Harvesting is done when fruits are ripe with color indication of yellow to deep red depending on the variety.
