Pepper

Common name: Capsicum, chili pepper, hot pepper, cayenne, red pepper, Tabasco paprika pepper, sweet pepper, bell pepper, green pepper
Scientific name: Capsicum annuum, C. frutescens
Family: Solanaceae

Growth stages	Pests  For weeds and diseases please see further down on this page. For rodents, snails and slugs please click here
Seed
Sown seeds	Ants
Seedling Stage
Stem	Aphids Cutworm
Leaves	Aphids Cutworm Whitefly
Vegetative Stage
Stems	Corn borer
Leaves	Aphids Armyworm Flea beetles Spider mites Thrips Whitefly
Reproductive Stage
Flowers	Lygus bugs Spider mites Thrips
Fruits	Aphids Flea beetles Leafhoppers (Jassids) Thrips Tomato fruitworm
Maturation stage
Fruits	Flea beetles Spider mites Thrips Tomato fruitworm

Weeds

Grasses
Sedges
Broadleaf

Diseases

Fungal
Bacterial
Viral

Agro-ecology

Planting hot cherry peppers as perimeter trap crops reduces the maggot population on bell or sweet peppers. Pepper maggots, important pepper pests, prefer to infest the hot cherry peppers. Since pest control is concentrated on the trap crops, the main crops grown are usually left unsprayed. This practice preserves most of the beneficial insects that help control aphids and corn borer eggs (Boucher, 2002). The maggot population increases due to the continuous planting of members of nightshade crops in the same field. Practicing crop rotation or multiple cropping with other crops like beans, carrot, marigold, marjoram, onion, and tansy (Ellis; Bradley, 1996: pp. 173, 419-420) disrupts the life cycle of pests attacking nightshade crops and attracts natural enemies into the field crops' environment (Berke; et al., 2001).

Apply organic material fertilizers in both irrigated or rainfed conditions to improve plant growth and soil condition such as: Cow dung at 10-15 t/ha, poultry manure at 3-4 t/ha, and goat manure at 5-6 t/ha. Applications can be done either individually or combination depending on availability. Compost can be prepared in the field and applied before planting pepper at the rate of 5-10 t/ha (FADINAP, 2000: pp. 89-90). However, fertilizer recommendations based on soil analyses offer the very best chance of getting the right amount of fertilizer without over or under fertilizing. Ask for assistance from local agriculturist office. n

Rice straw, Gliricidia leaves, and other plant residues can be placed in between rows in standing crops as mulch. Generally 5-8 t/ha dry basis and up to a thickness of 2-4 cm above ground is recommended (FADINAP, 2000: pp. 89-90). If you have access to fresh seaweed, rinse the seaweed to remove the salt when applying as mulch. Apply œ kg per100 sq feet area. Seaweed is a long-term soil conditioner and growth regulator. It contains micronutrients, amino acid and enzymes plus growth hormones that stimulate plant cell division (Card; Whiting; Wilson, 2002: pp. 7-8).

External links

• AVRDC. Crop production guides. http://avrdc.org/?page_id=2315
• Lerner, R. Purdue University. Pepper. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/senior/vegetabl/pepper1.htm
• UC IPM. Peppers. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PDF/PMG/pmgpeppers.pdf
• Purdue University. Peppers. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/rhodcv/hort410/pepper/pepper.htm
• NCSU. Pests of pepper. http://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG295/html/pepper_key.htm
• AVRDC. Suggested cultural practices for field cultivation of sweet peppers. http://libnts.avrdc.org.tw/web_crops/pepper/sweet%20pepper%20cultivation.pdf

References

• Berke, T.; et al. (2001): Sweet pepper production. Prepared by T. Kalb. AVRDC. http://www.avrdc.org.tw/LC/pepper/swtprod/01title.html
• Boucher, T.J. (2002): Perimeter trap crop recommendations for pepper maggots. Integrated Pest Management. University of Connecticut.
• CABI. (2000): Crop protection compendium. Global module, 2nd edition. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK.
• Card, A.; Whiting, D.; Wilson, C. (2002): Organic fertilizers. Colorado Master Gardener Training. Colorado State University. CMG Fact Sheet #S-34.
• Nielsen, G. R. (1997): Pepper pests. Plant and Soil Science Department. University of Vermont, USA.
• Parker, B.; Talekar, N.; Skinner, M. (2000): Field guide: Insect pests of selected vegetables in tropical and subtropical Asia. AVRDC Publication.
• Wagner, Georg. (2004): Vegetables' pests. Personal Communication. Schopperplatz 14, 4082 Aschach / Donau.