CHILLI Editors: Praveena R, Dinesh R, Srinivasan V, Madhavi Reddy K , Nirmal Babu K Publisher: Director ICAR- Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode Chilli – Good Agricultural Practices September 2019 Contact: ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode, Kerala, 673 012 E-mail: mail@spices.res.in Phone: 0495-2731410 Printed at : Papyrus Printers, Kozhikode–673004 Cover page : A. Sudhakaran For further details : www.aicrps.res.in

01 Good Agricultural Practices are a collection of principles to apply for on-farm produc- tion and post-production processes, resulting in safe and healthy food and non-food agricultural products, while consideringeconomic, social and environmental sustainabil-                  addressing environmental, economic and social sustainability for on-farm production and post-production processes resulting in safe and healthy food and non-food agricul-        and practices will help guide debate on national policies and actions and on the prepara- !     "     !  ! ! # ! $ % ture and Development and with effective input use, are one of the best ways to increase   &&  '!  products, also has environmental and social dimensions.

effective input use, are one of the best ways to increase   &&  '!  products, also has environmental and social dimensions.  &  ! '!!  products and it helps to reduce the risk of non-compliance with national and interna- tional regulations, standards and guidelines set by Codex Alimentarius Commission, (!)   *  +& % tion IPPC regarding permitted pesticides, maximum levels of contaminants food and non-food agricultural products, as well as other chemical, microbiological and physical  / &     contributes to meeting national and international environment and social development objectives.Its social dimension would be to protect the agricultural workers’ health from improper use of chemicals and pesticides. It is a particularly opportune time to promote 8    ! ! 8  8 & + *    *&  )8 & !     ' !         8 challenge with governments and public agencies playing a facilitating role.

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  !8     &  with the farmers before starting chilli cultivation. Chilli being a subtropical crop comes up well in warm humid climate and can be grown under varied agro-climatic conditions. Excess irrigation/rainfall and    8 <!   =  !  ! ' & >"    ! &* "   < < "&$8    suitable Variety has to be selected based on purpose for which it is cultivated, local market preference, climatic conditions, soil type, irrigation facilities and pest and disease incidence in the locality. ? < F         !          source SITE SELECTION SEEDS AND PROPAGATION MATERIAL Climate and soil            Chilli is one of the most valuable spice crop. India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of Chilli, contributing about 40 % of the World’s chilli production. In India, Andhra Pradesh is the leading state in Chilli production !8   H" (  >     +         Capsicum under Solanaceae family and in India, only two species viz. Capsicum annum and C.

n Chilli production !8   H" (  >     +         Capsicum under Solanaceae family and in India, only two species viz. Capsicum annum and C. fruitescens are widely known and most of the cultivated varieties belong to the species Capsicum annum. Chilli is widely used in many cuisines as    &  #   &    compound capsaicin and related derivatives capsaicinoids. GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES FOR CHILLI

03           ) "  &     8   and fungicide to avoid sucking pests and preventing damping off disease. )8 &          8 Tricho- derma viride @4g/kg or    @10g/kg. J?  L OQT< !     QTT< ! 8 J)L UT%FTT<

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water should be available especially with respect to heavy metals and pesticide residues contents.

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to be recorded. Raised nursery beds with soil mixed with well pulverized organic matter. Apply neem cake powder @1kg per 40m2 area. Avoid application of chemical fertilizers in nursery bed. If necessary use foliar nutrients. # !!     8  X   Y<Z[th! 8=$FQth DAS. \     F        8       !      !QX]QXO     FTT%FOT  [U      ^FTTTT%FOTTT  8  !  !  Weekly sprays of systemic insecticides with alternate sprays of neem/ pongamia oil or soap is recommended to control vectors _        '   8     & 8   !      # !8 must be taken care of in case of raising the nursery in a traditional way which is widely practiced for open pollinated varieties. SOIL CONDITIONS/MANAGEMENT

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     '    !      8  a reasonable timeframe.

   '    !  ! the crop supplemented with mineral nutrition through inorganic source need to be applied. Application of mineral supplements must be based on complete soil analysis in a competent laboratory. Specialized nutritional application for distinct needs viz., root production or    ! !  "    '  !  crop. In order to optimize water usage and to reduce wastage of water irrigation management plan need to be prepared for the crop. `!   !    & 8 !  whole cropping season and to reduce the water usage. Records need to be maintained for irrigation schedules, fertigation application 8  '   Depending on the nature and stage of the crop, inter-cultivation practices need to be adopted to reduce the incidence of weeds.

rrigation schedules, fertigation application 8  '   Depending on the nature and stage of the crop, inter-cultivation practices need to be adopted to reduce the incidence of weeds.
Comprehensive package of pest and disease management schedules including     ' !       ' In order to reduce pesticide residue in produce, correct dose of pesticides, time of application and mode of application need to be ensured and recorded correctly. Use of bio control agents and bio pesticides is preferred and plans for this should be available. Direct sowing : July to August Nursery
: July # L%$    CROP MANAGEMENT FOR CULTIVATION

05      $                     excess use of chemical fertilizers and limited or no application of organic fertiliz- *&    &    !% ing, crop rotation and application of bulky organic manures will not only & &!  &   !#&       in the cropping pattern.8L %+   X 8   

Deep ploughing in summer to maintain soil condition as well as to reduce hibernating pest population.

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Deep ploughing in summer to maintain soil condition as well as to reduce hibernating pest population. Chilli plants in compacted soils experience stress both during wet and dry periods than plants in soils with good tilth. Application !&   |}/OQ< & Q<    with bioagents. Apply liberal doses of diverse organic manures such as crop    }/  &         "    &  }/   %/ !  ~   " }/! !   ~        

   and Mycorrhiza, Pseudomonas, Trichoderma             population.

Raising green manure crops like 

 in acidic soils or      "  !       !   8  \ !     8 &  matter.

acidic soils or      "  !       !   8  \ !     8 &  matter. Apply neem cake powder @ 250kg/ha.

Apply recommended dose nitrogen and potassium fertilizers as per the   !  YTT"_FOT"H< ]%Q!       #           &     ! $  !  !/ ! !   fruit harvest Apply entire phosphorus as basal in the form of single super    $$& X  !!  \ 

06 farming situation based fertilizer recommendations should be followed for   !    !  /   !!! & !'    Critical stages are: J= 8 L[T=$ J#  L€T= J& X  !   J&  !  8       J* %&  !  &   !      #]T%]Q   ~!8   60x30cm spacing. Preferably transplant hardened seedlings in the late afternoon in moist soil.

     #]T%]Q   ~!8   60x30cm spacing. Preferably transplant hardened seedlings in the late afternoon in moist soil. Raised beds of 3ft wide & 1ft high with 2ft wide furrows,    !  /    8  YT %     !           8    ![T!8€TO!]QFQ! ‚8 €TO!   8   $"   period of the crop then convert to drip allowing early inter- culture. Keep the

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07 PLANT HEALTH MANAGEMENT   &  !   8   !  experts and to follow IPM strategies for sustainable production.     "     !             cropping season. Proper precautions should be taken while spraying chemicals to avoid contamina- tion beyond the application area.  !       8! natural water bodies, drinking water sources, human dwellings etc. It is advisable to use protective clothing, face mask and gloves while preparing and applying pesticides. Plant protection chemicals must be stored in a dry, well ventilated facility with displayed information on hazardous chemicals inaccessible to children and unauthorized people.

applying pesticides. Plant protection chemicals must be stored in a dry, well ventilated facility with displayed information on hazardous chemicals inaccessible to children and unauthorized people.   !8 8      *  for repeated application of pesticides and advised not to mix pesticides. Spray should not be done during peak period of bee activity to protect bees. It is advised to spray pesticides in the afternoon hours avoiding strong windy condition and rains. &"  <     " Avoid eating, drinking, smoking or chewing while preparing spray solution and the containers, buckets etc used for mixing pesticides should not be used for domestic purpose. Select right kind of sprayer with appropriate nozzles for spraying. It is advised not to blow/clean clogged nozzle with mouth. Z !&       water bodies etc. Combustible containers can be burnt if the container labels permits burning. Containers made of paper, cardboard & plant materials can be disposed off by burning. Non combustible containers should be broken or deformed by punching holes at several places to prevent reuse.

Containers made of paper, cardboard & plant materials can be disposed off by burning. Non combustible containers should be broken or deformed by punching holes at several places to prevent reuse.

08  + " "  8        ) & $  !   typically experiences pest complex attack leading to panic by the farmers resulting in indiscriminate use of insecticides. Many a times, thrips and mites attack the crop thus making majority of control measures ineffective. Most sucking pests in chilli not only cause direct damage but also transmit viruses. Aphids transmit Cucumber /&8   Z !+? &  Peanut Bud Necrosis Virus. A general guideline is to contain the pest load rather than aiming at absolute control of the pest, as this approach is currently known to cause high pesticide residues in the harvested produce. !      !      " Seedling dip in pesticide/fungicide solution before planting Raising border crops like sorghum, maize to check sucking pests H   8   Planting trap crops like marigold and castor against borers and nematodes Use of pheromone traps for control of borers and sticky traps against sucking pests.

 8   Planting trap crops like marigold and castor against borers and nematodes Use of pheromone traps for control of borers and sticky traps against sucking pests. Provide poison bait with carbaryl 1.25 kg, rice bran 12.5 kg, jaggery 1.25 "8 ƒQZ<  Provide bird perches $"   8   "8  < !  Avoid fruits touching the soil and getting infested with fungal diseases Avoid water stagnation and provide proper drainage Avoid combination of more than two pesticides and avoid repeated use of same   !   Enhance the usage of botanicals viz_ „OZ<Z with recommended pesticides &  !  8 ! 8  &  possible #  !    !   !  Avoid use of tonics of unknown composition

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Helicoverpa $   Spodoptera %! ! & Yellow mite

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12 )   $   $    * !  +    HARVEST AND POST HARVEST MANAGEMENT )&     !8  !'& % eters set for the end product rather than the total vegetative yield. Clear instruction should be available for farm worker to use proper cutting devices and avoid harvest of unwanted plants. A documented procedure should exist for cleaning containers and avoiding mixed up and contamination of produce.
Washing and cleaning methods need to be ensured for the freshly harvested materials to ensure removal of soil particles adhering to the materials. Processing area must be clean with a proper platform and shade.      '         !     ! harvested crop produce. Drying procedure and the temperature employed   !8  ' ! !  Sorting procedure need to be carried out after the completion of drying phase and before the material is packed. $  !"    ' '   possible length of storage before consumption/processing and need to be kept clean, dry and undamaged. Storage area must be kept clean and free from insect pests.

 ' '   possible length of storage before consumption/processing and need to be kept clean, dry and undamaged. Storage area must be kept clean and free from insect pests. Proper separation need to be implemented to keep different products of the crop separately.

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 O%Q†   % &            % &  & '  ! !   produce. If chillies are not properly dried,35-50%post-harvest losses may occur when the produce moves along the supply chain. J# "& ' J)&  !X &  J)   &  &   ! J&   ! " J  " ! &  J>  & FT%FF†& X J   ! &! X J=     ! &8  JH   ! !

 J   ! &! X J=     ! &8  JH   ! ! !    `          ! '"        &   ' 8 % nation and protect from rains. Use polyhouse solar drying for achieving high '   > _\          !   ƒQˆ]ˆYFT'!   #  !        8 #  Q|U    !ƒQFT†8 FQ|OT '  dry chillies in traditional open yard sun drying.

14   8      8  proper hygiene. Pack in clean, new gunny bags and label with natural colours. Store at 4-7°C in cold storage. Cold storage helps to retain colour. Avoid the use of Rhodomine to label the chilli gunnies. Avoid sprinkling water on dry chilli while packing in gunnies. Restricting animals, including livestock, poultry or pets, to roam in crop areas, especially near harvest time. Exclude ingredients, Insects and other pests from growing areas.

packing in gunnies. Restricting animals, including livestock, poultry or pets, to roam in crop areas, especially near harvest time. Exclude ingredients, Insects and other pests from growing areas. Providing appropriate hand- 8   ! !  8" +   &   !  `X   !"    !         ! &     ' workers to wear clean clothes in these areas. Using new and unused bags to pack products for further transport and sale.



      8     year of harvest and the name of farmer/farming agency.
If the produce was tested before, an appropriate label may be used indicating '&

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  &    !8    8 TYPES OF POST-HARVEST LOSSES IN CHILLIES AND ITS PREVENTION IDENTIFICATION AND TRACEABILITY Type of loss Reason Prevention Discolouration Prolonged sun drying Mechanical drying Harvesting of immature fruits Harvesting of matured fruits Mould growth Improper drying Proper drying Poor storage condition Proper storage Loss of seed Physical injury Gentle handling Improper packing Careful packing Loose stalk Selection of variety Pod borer

Wrinkling of fruits Prolonged sun drying Mechanical drying Over drying optimum drying Delayed picking Correct picking

15 H                 ! 8 <  &  !8      ' ' % ments of the end product, crop husbandry etc.

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 &   X   ‡  matters like safety and hygiene.



  !!                   <       maintained. `'    8  &    % sible manner. Scheduled servicing procedures must be adhered to keep them in working order. Additional care should be taken for cleaning those machine parts that get into direct contact with the harvested produce. ("    ' 8   &  +   !  &    8 !  & &   & ! " 8    '   authorized by a competent authority need to be complied. All workers handling and/or administering plant protection chemicals, disinfect- ants, biocides or other hazardous substances and all workers operating danger-  X '   &    !    PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT   !   , 

16 Permanent and legible signs indicating potential hazards, e.g. waste pits, fuel tanks, workshops, access doors of the plant protection product / fertiliser / any other chemical storage facilities as well as the treated crop etc. must be made available. Mancozeb Wettable sulphur Propiconazole

     Copper oxy chloride Chlorothalonil Spinosad  Indoxacarb Slightly toxic Slightly toxic Moderately toxic Moderately toxic Moderately toxic Moderately toxic Moderately toxic ) X ) X .  

   

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