Chilli cultivation is done as a spice crop. Chilli is used fresh, dry and powdered in all three forms. It is essential in all types of vegetables because without chilli, no matter how well the vegetable is made, it will look bland. Capsaicin chemical is found in chillies, which makes them taste hot. In our country, capsicum is used as a vegetable, red thick chillies are used as pickles, green chillies are used as salads and dry red chillies are used as spices.
Soil, Climate and Temperature
Chilli cultivation requires black loamy soil rich in organic matter. It is necessary to have proper drainage land for chilli cultivation because, due to waterlogging, its plants suffer from many diseases, affecting the yield. P.H. of the land in its cultivation.
Chilli cultivation can be done in any climate, but a moist dry environment is considered appropriate for its cultivation. Excessive heat and cold weather are harmful to its crop. Apart from this, the frost falling in winter is also detrimental to the chilli crop. Initially, chilli plants require an average temperature to germinate. Its plants grow well at normal temperatures. Chilli plants can tolerate a maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius in the summer season and a minimum temperature of 10 degrees Celsius in the winter season; higher or lower temperature than this is harmful to crop growth.
Field Preparation
For a good yield of chilli, the field should be prepared well by ploughing it well and giving the proper amount of fertiliser. For this, deep ploughing of the area should be done. Due to this, the old residues of the field will be destroyed. After mixing the manure well in the soil, water should be left in it. After applying water, leave the area as it is. That, when the ground of the field starts appearing dry from above, use the rotavator and get two to three oblique ploughing done. After this, get the field levelled by placing a footing in the field so that the water logging problem will not be seen in the area. Moreover, the Mahindra Arjun 605 is the suitable tractor model for farming purposes.
How to prepare chilli plants
Transplantation of chilli plants is done by preparing their plants instead of in the form of seeds. For this, chilli seeds are ready in the nursery. However, before preparing the seeds in the nursery, they are treated with Thiram or Baviston. After this, the seeds should be rinsed using the Hazare method. About 500 GM hybrid seeds and 1 KG of native seeds are required in one hectare field.
Transplanting Method
Transplanting of chilli plants is done in both med and flat places. If you want to transplant its plants into the meadows, you should prepare the meadows by keeping a distance of three feet in the field. After this, plants should be transplanted, keeping a distance of one and a half feet between each plant. Next, ten feet long beds should be prepared for transplanting plants on flat land. Plants should be planted keeping a distance of two and a half feet in these beds to get enough space to spread.
Transplanting chilli plants in the evening is considered more beneficial because transplanting at this time makes the plants germinate well and give good yields. Chilli plants require an average temperature for transplanting, so they should be planted in the middle of October and November in the winter, while February and March are considered suitable for transplanting plants in the summer.
Irrigation
Chilli plants need more irrigation because their plants require moisture in the field at the time of germination. Therefore, the first irrigation of chilli plants should be done immediately after transplanting. Chilli plants require two to three irrigations a week during the summer season. Therefore, chilli plants should be irrigated only when required during the rainy season.
Weed Control
Weed control in chilli cultivation is done by weeding and weeding naturally. If weed control is not done correctly, the plant’s growth stops, and the yield is also affected. You can also use chemical methods for weed control. Also, the Powertrac Euro 60 tractor model is appropriate for handling farm equipment.
Harvesting
Chillies are harvested at different times depending on their advanced varieties. Wide varieties of chillies are ready to yield in about 50 days. After the first harvesting, all other harvestings should be done in 10 to 12 days. But to get red chilli, its fruits should be plucked after 120 to 130 days. After this, these red chillies should be dried in the sun. Then, these dried chillies are stored and pressed, due to which more pungency is generated in them.
