We intend to cover different types of greenhouses, including open fields, greenhouses, and even playhouse technology.
Basically, capsaicin is an important component in cooking. Generally, they come under the herb section. The process of growing peppers is easy. And growing them under a controlled environment produces better yields and profits than the open fields.
Bell peppers come in various colors, including green, orange, yellow, and red. They also come in different shapes such as round, oblong, pear, and jalapeno. Green bell peppers are the least spicy among them. Orange ones are medium hot; yellow ones are very hot, and red ones are extremely hot.
Green peppers are usually ripe enough for harvesting without any additional processing. However, red, orange, and yellow peppers need to be processed first. Hence, their prices tend to be higher than the price of green peppers.
The scientific name of Bell Pepper is Capsicum annum. It belongs to the nightshade family. It contains vitamins A, C, and B6, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium, and niacin.
Why is Colored Capsicum Cultivation Profitable?
Bell peppers and chili peppers can be grown successfully if you have enough space on your farm. However, they require some initial investment for getting high profits.
- Colored capsicums are a high-value vegetable, so they ensure a lucrative revenue stream.
- You can store this product in the cold storage room for up to one month.
- You can also grow them indoors during winter months under protective structures.
- Organic green peppers are the best items to sell at farmers’ markets, supermarkets, and online marketplace sites. They’re especially good sellers because they fetch a high price.
Economic Importance of Colored Capsicum
Capsicums are grown globally. They’re especially common in the temperate regions in Central and South America and Europe, but they’re also found in tropical and subtropical Asia.
Read: How to Start a Broccoli Cultivation Business
Today, because of the growing popularity among people living in big cities, more and more farmers grow colored capsicum plants. These are mainly used in hotels and restaurants.
They also make good exports. But, the main problem they face is that the export market demands bigger-sized fruit with longer shelf lives. And, it requires medium-sized fruit with attractive dark colors, mild pungency, and good taste.
Different Regional Names of Colored Capsicum
- ‘Shimla Mirch‘ in Hindi
- ‘Pedda Mirappa‘ in Telugu
- ‘Kuda Milagai‘ in Tamil
- ‘Parangi Mulagu‘ in Malayalam
- ‘Donne Menasinakai‘ in Kannada
- ‘Bhopal Mirchi‘ in Marathi
- ‘Simla Marchan‘ in Gujarati
- ‘Simla Mirch‘ in Bengali.
Health Benefits of Colored Capsicum
Bell pepper contains plenty of vitamin C, but the most vitamin C is found in the red variety.
Colored capsicums contain several phytochemists and carotenoids. Particularly, they contain high levels
Furthermore, these are good sources of vitamin E. Actually, vitamin E is well-known for helping keep skin and hair looking young.
It also has vitamin B6, which promotes healthy brain function and cell renewal.
Eating red bell peppers helps activate thermogenesis and increases metabolism, which means they support losing fat.
There are some things to consider when growing commercial-colored capsicums.
In commercial agriculture, the production method is one of the major aspects that should be considered carefully. Generally, playhouses or greenhouses ensure higher yields and profits. However, they require an initial capital outlay for infrastructure construction. If you want to begin with a small amount of money, then you may opt for open-field farming.
Second, you must arrange an appropriate water supply system. Watering by drip is the best method for growing red peppers.
Also, be sure to give the right care and attention to your plants. Plant protection is the most important aspect of that.
Colored capsicums are highly perishables. You must manage them properly after they’re harvested to prevent losses.
Best Varieties for Colored Capsicum Cultivation
Regardless of which production technology you choose, you need to choose the right type of pepper very carefully. Most peppers are either green, purple, or red when they’re ripe.
You should choose varieties that ensure a good yield. They should be uniform in size and shape and have a longer storage time.
There are some of the most popular commercial hybrid seeds in India including Indra, Yamuna (green), Bombay, Triple stars, Natasha, Inspiration, Passarella (red), and Sunnyez, Swarna, and Orobelle (yellow).
Suitable Soil for Colored Capsicum Cultivation
When we talk about commercial farming, we mean growing crops such as vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, and so forth. Commercial farmers grow these plants in greenhouses, shade nets, and open fields. They also have to take care of water supply, irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides, pest control, harvesting, transportation, storage, marketing, and much more.
Read: How to take soil samples for analysis?
Rainy weather conditions are not ideal for growing cucumbers because they encourage leaf disease. Windy weather conditions are not desirable because they cause the structure to be damaged by strong winds, which increases maintenance costs.
If you want to grow peppers, you need to choose a site where the soil has an adequate drainage system and a pH between 6 and 7, and an electrical conductivity (EC) of less than 1 milli-ohm per centimeter.
Colored Capsicum Production Technology
Open Field
Green peppers are usually harvested from traditional farms. Depending upon variety and season, they typically produce between 20 and 40 tons per hectare every four to five-month period.
Greenhouse
Greenhouses protect crops from insects and diseases by keeping them warm and dry. They also help to keep crops away from harsh weather conditions. Thus, they improve the overall health and yield of crops.
Shade Net
You can use a 50% high-density polyethylene (HDPE) white shade cloth to create a roof structure for your greenhouse. Then, you can attach another layer of shade cloth (either green or black with 35% shading) to the top of the first layer. These layers can be either fixed or movable/retractable.
Playhouse
Poly houses give better protection against water damage than traditional homes because they do not allow any rainwater to enter.
Thus, plant disease cannot occur inside the poly home. Yields are typically 20 percent higher in a poly home than in an earthen home. You may also choose to build your playhouses with plastic pipe (GI) instead of clay soil.
Colored Capsicum Farming Basic Steps
Nursery Raising
First off, you should get high-quality seeds if you wish to produce high-quality plants. You’ll generally require around 16,000 to 20 thousand seeds per acre, so you’ll have to purchase approximately 160-200 grams. Once they’ve sprouted, you can expect them to take anywhere between 7 days and 10 days to mature.
Land Preparation
To prepare the ground for planting, you must first dig out any weeds and debris from the bed. Then, spread a layer of composted manure at a rate of 20-25kg per square meter. Make sure there is enough room between each row so that plants can grow up through them without touching one another.
Fertilization
It is important to apply fertilizer according to soil tests. Sometimes, you may need to apply a basic fertilizer before planting. After planting, you can also consider using neem cake.
Irrigation
Irrigating crops using drip systems is usually the best option. However, you may use other methods depending on the conditions in your area.
Transplanting
Before planting, first, apply some fresh soil to the ground. You can plant seeds at any age between 30 and 35 days old. Make sure that the roots aren’t harmed during the transplantation.
Plant Protection
In commercial agriculture, you must provide proper crop protection care and management. Identification of disease and pest attacks at an earlier stage is very important.
Some of the commonest damaging insects and mites are thrips, aphids, fruit borers, nematodes, etc. Some of these problems can be prevented by applying pesticides. Other problems such as damping-offs and powdery mildews can be controlled by spraying fungicides. Viral infections can be treated by using antiviral agents.
Harvesting & Yield of Colored Capsicum
Green peppers are harvested when they reach an average size of 6 cm (2 1/4 inches) long; yellow peppers are harvested when they grow to an average length of 8 cm (3 3/8 inches), and red peppers are harvested when they develop a diameter of 10 cm (4 inches). They must be kept in a cool place until ready to use.
There are several ways to package the fruit depending on the needs of transport and storage. You must consider these factors when choosing which method to use.
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