Botanical and Taxonomic Details

• Botanical Name:
  • Chilli: Capsicum annuum var. hortense
  • Bell Pepper: Capsicum annuum var. grossum
• Family: Solanaceae
• Origin: New World (Mexico and surrounding regions of Central America)

Characteristics and Chemical Composition

• Red Colour: Due to capsanthin, a natural colorant used in food and cosmetics.
• Oleoresin Extraction: Chilli oleoresin is widely used in cosmetics, indicating industrial value.

Chilli

1. Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum var. hortense
2. Description:
   • Chilli is known for its pungency, caused by capsaicin, an alkaloid found in the placenta of the fruit.
   • It is widely used as a spice, in pickles, sauces, and curries.
   • Chillies are rich in vitamin A, C, and antioxidants.
3. Uses:
   • Culinary: Adds spice and color to dishes.
   • Medicinal: Has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.
   • Industrial: Used in cosmetics and as a natural food colorant (due to capsanthin).
4. Major Producers in India:
   Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu are key contributors to India’s chilli production.

Bell Pepper (Capsicum or Shimla Mirch)

1. Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum var. grossum
2. Description:
   • Bell peppers are non-pungent and have a sweet, crisp taste.
   • They are cultivated for fresh consumption in salads, cooked dishes, or as a garnish.
   • Available in vibrant colors like green, red, yellow, and orange.
3. Uses:
   • Culinary: Widely used in salads, pizzas, stir-fries, and stuffed recipes.
   • Nutritional Benefits: A good source of vitamins A, C, B6, and dietary fiber.
4. Major Producers in India:
   Grown in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.

Types of Capsicum

1. Hot Pepper (Chilli):
   • Pungent due to capsaicin, a crystalline volatile alkaloid located in the placenta of the fruit.
   • Cultivated for vegetables, spices, and pickles.
   • High export potential and a significant foreign exchange earner.
   • Rich in vitamins A and C.
2. Sweet Pepper (Bell Pepper):
   • Non-pungent or mildly pungent, with thick pericarp.
   • Used as a vegetable.
   • Commonly called Shimla Mirch in India.
3. Paprika:
   • Mildly pungent, slightly stronger than sweet pepper.
   • Used as a spice in European cuisine.
   • Adds color and mild pungency to foods, including pickles and sandwiches.

Importance and Uses

Chillies:

• Culinary: Essential in every kitchen for its pungency, spicy taste, and vibrant color.
• Medicinal: Increasing demand in the pharmaceutical industry due to high rutin content in green chillies.
• Nutritional Value: Rich in vitamins A and C.

Bell Pepper (Shimla Mirch):

• Consumed raw in salads or cooked in dishes like pizzas and stews.
• Suitable for pickling, stuffing, and baking.
• Adds a unique flavor to foods.

Cultivation Details

Area and Production

• Introduction in India: Brought by Portuguese in the 16th century from Brazil.
• Major States Producing Chillies: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Rajasthan.
• Area Under Cultivation: Varies between 0.816-0.982 million hectares.
• Production: Between 61,820 and 86,200 tonnes of dry chilli annually.
• Andhra Pradesh accounts for 25% of total area and 40-50% of production.

Climatic and Soil Requirements

• Climate:
  • Warm and humid; frost-sensitive.
  • Optimal growth temperature: 20-25°C.
  • Fruit set occurs best between 16-21°C.
  • Requires moderate rainfall: 60-120 cm. Excess rainfall may cause poor fruit set and rotting.
• Soil:
  • Suitable for all types except saline soils.
  • Prefers sandy and sandy loam soils for early cropping.
  • Ideal soil pH: 5.8-6.5.

Varieties

• Chilli Varieties:
  G-3, Pusa Jwala, Bhagya Lakshmi (G-4), HC-28, Andhra Jyoti, Punjab Lal, NP-46A, Pant-C-1, Pant-C-2, Sindhur.
• Chilli Hybrids:
  CH-1, CH-3, Arka Meghana, Arka Sweta, CCH-2, CCH-3.
• Bell Pepper Varieties:
  California Wonder, Yolo Wonder, Arka Mohini, Arka Basant, Arka Gourav.

Cultivation Practices

Planting Times 

1. Chilli:
   • Frost-free areas: Autumn-Winter (October-November), Spring-Summer (January-February), Rainy Season (June-July).
   • Northern Plains: December sowing (for February planting), May-June.
2. Bell Pepper:
   • North India: Autumn-Winter (August sowing), Spring-Summer (November sowing).
   • South India: Can be grown for an extended period (June-February).

Transplanting Techniques

• Seedlings are ready at 4-6 weeks, when they are 15 cm tall with 4 leaves.
• Transplant during late afternoon to reduce stress.

Seed Rate

• Chilli: 1 kg/ha; 2-3 kg/ha for direct sowing.
• Hybrid Chilli: 400-500 gm/ha.
• Capsicum: 1.25 kg/ha; 700 gm/ha for hybrids.

Spacing

• Chilli: 45×45 cm or 60×45 cm.
• Capsicum: 60×45 cm.

Manures and Fertilizers

• FYM: 250 q/ha.
• Nitrogen: 75 kg/ha, Phosphorus: 60-75 kg/ha, Potassium: 50 kg/ha.
• Half nitrogen applied at transplanting, the remainder in two top dressings.

Irrigation

• Chillies are primarily rainfed, but irrigation is necessary during insufficient rainfall.
• Critical stages: Flowering, fruit setting, and fruit development.

Weed Management

• Common in red soils and during the Kharif season.
• Methods:
  • Cultural practices like manual weeding.
  • Herbicides: Dephenamide, Trifluralin, EPTC, Nitrofen.
  • Mulching with sawdust, crop residues, or plastic films.

Harvesting

• Chilli:
  • Green fruits: Harvested when fully grown but unripe.
  • Pickles: Harvested green or ripe.
  • Drying: Fully ripe red fruits dried under the sun for 8-15 days or commercially at 54.4°C for 2-3 days.
• Bell Pepper:
  • Harvested when green, crisp, and firm.
  • Mature red fruits have limited market demand.
  • Picked with a stem attached for better shelf life.

Yield

Chilli (Capsicum annuum var. hortense)

• Green Chillies:
  • Open Field Cultivation: 8–10 tons per hectare (80–100 quintals/ha)
  • Protected Cultivation (Greenhouses/Polyhouses): 15–20 tons per hectare
• Dry Chillies:
  • Yield after drying is approximately 2–3 tons per hectare, depending on the moisture content and drying efficiency (10–12% of the green chilli weight is retained as dry chilli).
• High-Yielding Varieties:
  Varieties like Guntur (Sannam), Byadgi, Teja, and Jwala are known for their productivity.

Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum var. grossum)

• Open Field Cultivation:
  • Green Bell Peppers: 25–30 tons per hectare (250–300 quintals/ha)
  • Red, Yellow, or Orange Bell Peppers: Yields are generally slightly lower than green varieties, averaging 20–25 tons per hectare.
• Protected Cultivation:
  • Under greenhouse or polyhouse conditions, yields can go up to 100–120 tons per hectare, especially for colored bell peppers.
• High-Yielding Varieties:
  Common hybrid varieties for better yield include Indra, Bharat, Orobelle, Natasha, and Bomby.