Cayenne Pepper as a Soil Conserving Crop
Rani G. Kumar, Girish K. Panicker*, and Franklin O. Chukwuma Cayenne pepper is a member of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family, which belongs to the genus Capsicum annuum. Historically, the Native Indians of Mexico and other Central American countries and South America, raised this self-pollinating, tropical pepper plant, since 7500 BC as a type of food vegetable. Believed to be the hottest among chili pepper varieties, Cayenne (also called Guinea spice, bird pepper and Cow horn-pepper) is associated with hot Jalapenos and mild bell peppers. It is named after the capital city of Cayenne in French Guiana where the Portuguese/Spanish and French explorers found it. Similarly, Columbus came across this plant variety in the West Indies and familiarized them to Europe, while Magellan presented cayenne pepper to Africa and the East Indies. Ironically, this indigenous Americas’ crop came to the North America with the initial settlers! Today, Cayenne pepper is grown worldwide as a marketable perennial crop for cookery and medicinal uses, in addition to home gardens. Purposes •
To conserve soil and water through the use of vegetation
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To maintain and /or improve soil availability, quality, and soil nutrients
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To suppress weeds, reduce insect pests and diseases, and increase crop yield
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To improve soil tilth, soil organic matter, and soil structure
2 Planting: Start planting indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last possible frost, with organic mixture. For external planting, slightly acidic, loose soil with compost is proper (a little aluminum sulfate raises the soil acidity). In the cooler areas, warm up the soil with cold frames, floating row covers, raised beds, black plastic mulch etc., as the peppers are sensitive to cold air and soil. Ideal temperature for daytime is 70º - 80º F and for the night is 60º - 70º. Keep 2 feet distance between the plants and space them 3 feet apart between rows. Gradually and safely transfer the indoor raised plants to the outdoor, confirming that the soil is warm. Soil: Cayenne Peppers grow well in a variety of soils with adequate moisture but well-drained, loose sandy loam is the most suitable type. Alter overly alkaline soil with measured quantity of sulfur and add lime to very acidic soil. Also, organic matter progresses poor soils. To gain vibrant growth and fruiting effects, these tropical plants need moderate nitrogen, minimum 6 to 8 hours of daily sunlight, and a soil pH of 6.5-7.5. Tomatoes, parsley, basil, and carrots are good companion plants for this crop. Mulching: It is a process of spreading an organic cover over the earth, to maintain soil moisture, discourage soil erosion, and weed growth and matures the soil and crop productivity. Likewise, mulches regulate soil temperature, protect plant roots and supply nutrients. They steadily heat up the soil in colder regions and adjust the high soil temperature, in warmer parts. Suitable organic mulches for Cayenne pepper plants include wheat and composted rye straw, pine bark, alfalfa, sorghum, lawn trimmings, vetch, chicken manure, etc. Ensure to evenly spread a 4- to 6-inch layer of mulch around the base of the pepper plant. Presently, farmers use clear plastic to rise temperature in cool weather and black/white plastic mulch, to prevent weed sprouting. During the mulching time, verify that the soil temperature is not less than 70 F. Directly after the harvest, change the mulch, to sustain a healthy plot. Harvesting: Cayenne peppers fully mature within 80-115 days. Depending on the variety, handpick the peppers once they reach an eatable size (4-6 inches long) or when the fruits turn red, increasing their capsaicin or "heat” in the fruit. Cut the stem or break it, one inch over the pepper, with a sharp knife or garden shears. Constant harvesting stimulates new fruit growth and this course generally prolongs until the first fall frost. During harvest, consider wearing gloves, as the Cayenne peppers are hot. Weed and Pest control: As soon as the perennials establish well, prune and thin them out at times, to increase air circulation and also to decrease diseases like powdery mildew and botrytis. Get rid of Southern Blight with a fungicide. Planting strong pepper varieties, preventing overhead watering, removing unhealthy leaves, using approved fungicides, etc. easily prevent mosaic and bacterial/leaf spot diseases. Moreover, plastic sheeting and organic mulches remarkably lessen weeding.
3 Spider mites, pepper weevils, maggots, leaf miners, flea beetles, and aphids largely attack cayenne pepper plants. Avoid them by removing pest-ridden plants, using foamy water, organic and inorganic products (rotenone and pyrethrum), floating row covers, thick mulch, tough smelly marigold, tansy, catnip companion plants, rye cover crops, insecticides, etc. and helpful insects like lady bugs and lacewings (to feed on aphids). Remove borers, cutworms, and tomato hornworms with Bacillus pesticides, thuringensis (BT or Thuricide). Crop rotation is a practice by which dissimilar vegetables are planted on the same land from year to year. It is effectively practiced by gardeners to eliminate diseases and insects in the vegetable garden. Also, this method produces organic matter and soil nutrients for upcoming/ additional plants during their life sequence. Rotation demands the crops to be altered every three years so as to prevent similar diseases and organisms from developing in the soil. Strong pepper cultivars like Carolina Cayenne are very valuable as rotation crops, for suppressing southern root knot nematode, in weak vegetable crops. Hot pepper is measured to progress soil microbial ecosystem as a preceding crop for cucumber and lead to a quality bumper harvest. Hairy vetch is an apt green manure preceding crop for cayenne pepper production. Residue Management: Crop residue management is an integral part of scientific conservation planning. Residue cover can protect the soil against raindrop impact, progress soil aggregation and enhance structural attributes, increase infiltration capacity, fix plant nutrients, and restrain weed growth. Decomposition rate of the residue depends on the carbon and nitrogen content, and the placement of the residue. Cayenne returns almost 16,960 to 20,45011,500 lbs of fresh residue (1,450 to 1,490 lbs of dry residue) per acre. This dry residue contains 30.12% carbon and 2.5% nitrogen, and at this rate, this crop returns 437 to 448 lbs of carbon and 36 to 37 lbs of nitrogen per acre. The average residue cover recorded on a heavy soil after the final harvest is 58%. The canopy cover goes up to 44% and 84% after 50 days and 80 days of planting, respectively. It gives a high leaf area index of 3.6 after 65 days of planting. The maximum root depth and rhizosphere width verified in a heavy soil are 12 inches and 28 inches, respectively. The maximum canopy width recorded is 29 inches. The highest dry root/shoot ratio recorded is 0.144 with a stem diameter of 0.7 inches. This crop attains the physiological maturity after 70 days and the senescence starts after 90 days of planting. The average yield recorded in a three-year study on a heavy soil is 11,360 lbs per acre.
Published by the Cooperative Extension, School of Agriculture, Research, Extension, and Applied Sciences, Alcorn State University, Mississippi, in collaboration with the USDA/NRCS. Alcorn State University is deeply grateful to the USDA/NRCS for providing funds for this publication. *Corresponding author. Alcorn State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or handicap.