Letters to the editor: What you need to know on growing chili pepper

Chili pepper. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Diseases such as bacterial wilt, bacterial soft rot, bacterial spot, anthracnose, phytophthora blight, fusarium wilt and powdery mildew, among others should be monitored on the chilli.
  • Silage can be made from varied sources of fodder such as grass, sorghum or maize.
  • Cigar end rot affects the developing banana fingers at the tip end, which dry up and resemble the greyish ash of a cigar. Such fingers are readily rejected in the market.

I NEED THE BEST CAYENNE CHILI SEEDS
Where can I get long cayenne chili seeds? Also how can I grow them?
Susan Chege

You can obtain them from Royal Seed Company. They have three different varieties, that is Daiya 619 F1, Demon F1 and Bandai F1.

All these have different characteristics, thus the choice will depend on target market preference. Hot chilli does well in loamy soils, which are well-drained with a pH of 5.5-6.8.

They require a rainfall of 600-1,250mm, which should be well-distributed, although in the dry areas irrigation maybe carried out. Though they can grow in a wide range of altitudes, they would require a temperature range of 25-30OC for optimum productivity.

In areas where night temperature goes below 15oC, fruit setting is favoured though flowering is delayed.
Hot chili is planted from seeds which are first grown on a seedbed then transplanted to the field. Transplanting should take place late in the evening or during a cool cloudy day to avoid stressing the young crop.

Fertiliser regime would be 130kg/ha of N, 80kg/ha of P and 110 kg/ha of K. You should also watch out for pests such as root-knot nematodes, aphids, white flies, cut worms, thrips, spider mites, fruit flies, broad mite or yellow tea mite and leaf miners among others.

Diseases such as bacterial wilt, bacterial soft rot, bacterial spot, anthracnose, phytophthora blight, fusarium wilt and powdery mildew, among others should be monitored.

Harvesting takes place in 3-6 weeks after flowering depending on the market requirements on the level of maturity.

Muriuki Ruth Wangari,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.

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GROWING WHEAT
I am in the process of growing wheat for the first time in Kianduva, Nyandarua County. From the requirements outlined on the seed’s packaging, 1kg of copper mineral is needed.

Please advice on the purpose of applying the mineral and at what stage is it applied. I would also wish to know at what stage CAN is applied.

Wheat harvesting in Narok County. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Copper (Cu) is a micro-nutrient, and therefore, it is required in very small amounts for protein and enzyme production.

Copper is involved in the following ways:-
• It promotes seed production and formation.
• It plays an essential role in chlorophyll formation.
• It is essential for proper enzyme activity.
If wheat is grown in deficient soils, the plant leaves yellow, they later twist and die. Seed/grain formation is inhibited and crop can die in severe deficiencies.
Application: The rate of 1kg is usually a general recommendation for Kenyan soils that are deficient in Cu. Its application is, therefore, intended to correct deficiencies and should be incorporated before planting, (along with other fertilisers), or as foliar application (on leaves).

Foliar application of Cu is most-effective at tillering, which occurs between 30 to 50 days after sowing. Copper sulfate (CuSO4) is the most common used material for foliar.

Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) can also be applied just before sowing (basal) or broadcast (top dressing) at tillering and at boot stage, that is, just before the panicles (heads that bear flowers) emerge.

It supplies Nitrogen (N), a major nutrient deficient in most soils. For enhancing nitrogen uptake by plants, applying in splits of two to three times (depending on labour availability and weather – avoid heavy rains or drought), is preferred.

Prof Anthony Kibe is a crops expert at Crops and Soils Science Department, Egerton University.

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ORGANIC FARMING
I am a small farmer of organic fruits in Homa Bay. My main concern and problem is the cost of certification and inputs like bio-stimulants for my crops. I would want to involve a wider community for bulk production, but the above costs may deny me the chance.

I have approached Encert Ltd and Koan for the certification of my produce. How can I be helped to realise this dream?
Lumbe Simeon

A grocery trader with a customer at Kangemi Market, Nairobi. PHOTO | ANTHONY OMUYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Organic farming is one of the best production practices that farmers are now using. Certification process, however, is expensive depending on what certificate one is looking for.

However, you can get group certification, which will significantly reduce the costs depending on the number of farmers in the group. One great concern about organic farming is the unavailability of most of the inputs.

However, you can get training from experts on how to make pesticides.

Muriuki Ruth Wangari,
Department of Crops, Horticulture, and Soils, Egerton University.

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HOW TO MAKE SILAGE
I have eight Friesian cows in Timau, Meru, and what is depressing me is the low milk yield.

So what I need is advice on making silage to ensure there is constant high value feeds. In addition, the milk market is so erratic, so I need information on cooling and or value addition.

Mwari Mugambi

A dairy farmer feeds his cows in Ongata Rongai, Nairobi. PHOTO | RACHEL KIBUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Silage making is one of the ways that help to sustain high milk production and healthy cows. If done right, the procedure results in silage that is palatable thus increasing intake for greater milk production.

Silage can be made from varied sources of fodder such as grass, sorghum or maize. Note that these materials should be harvested at the right stage of growth, for instance, maize or sorghum should be harvested when their seeds are soft but not milky when squeezed open, napier grass should be about a metre high while legumes should have young pods which are not dry.

At these stages, their moisture content makes them suitable for ensiling. Next is to chop the fresh fodder material to lengths of about one inch then empty them into your plastic lined pit to approximately 15cm high, spreading evenly to make the first layer.

As you pile the layers, you can incorporate easily fermentable additives to improve fermentation process though the dosage and method of application are very decisive for effectiveness.

If you choose to use molasses, dilute with water at a ratio of about 1:2 and sprinkle evenly using a garden sprayer over the first layer. Then compact this layer by trampling on it to force out as much air as possible, to prevent fungi growth and spoilage.

Repeat this process of adding chopped fodder, sprinkling diluted molasses while compacting at each layer until the pit gets filled to a doom shape.

Finally wrap the top with a polythene sheet and heap of soil to keep off rodents or water running into the pit. For more information, please refer to Seeds of Gold issue of March 23.

Felix Akatch Opinya,
Department of Animal Science, Egerton University.

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‘STRANGE’ DISEASE HAS HIT MY BANANAS
I have about 150 banana stems which are at various stages of maturity.

However, I have noted a strange disease that is fast spreading (see photo below). What disease is this? What causes it? And how do I prevent or deal with it?
Hassan

Bananas affected by Cigar end rot.

Banana fingers in the picture are affected by Cigar end rot disease. It is not a strange disease but is very common in banana plantations.

This is a disease that is prevalent in almost all growing farms. The disease affects the developing fingers at the tip end, which dry up and resemble the greyish ash of a cigar. Such fingers are readily rejected in the market.

Therefore, control of the disease is very much important in banana cultivation.

Common symptoms
As shown in the picture, it is a black necrosis spreading from the perianth (flower parts) into the tip of immature fingers. The pulp of the affected fruit undergoes a dry rot.

The dry rot can spread up to 2cm from the tip. The corrugated necrotic tissue is covered with the mycelia (vegetative part) of the fungi and resembles the greyish ash of the cigar end.

If emerging fingers are affected, the entire fingers sometimes rot. The symptoms are characteristic of the disease and can be easily distinguishable from other diseases.

Causal agent
Cigar end rot is caused by the fungus Verticillium theobromae Synm = Trachysphaera fructigena. The incidence of the disease is found to be high during warm, damp season.

The fungus is commonly seen in leaf trash and flowers. Conidia (fruiting bodies of fungus) are disseminated in air currents and infect drying flower parts.

Development mechanism
A black necrosis spreads from the perianth into the tip of immature fingers. The pulp of the affected fruit goes through a dry rot.

The dry rot can spread up to 2cm from the tip.

Management strategy
Field sanitation, such as the removal of dead, hanging leaves from plants, will reduce inoculum level. The floral part remaining should be removed immediately after flower emergence and bunches should be covered with polyethylene bag.

Packing stations and ripening room need to be kept clean to minimise the chances of post-harvest infestation. Infected fingers should be removed immediately.

Spray bunches with Indofil M 45 (0.25 %) or Bavistin (0.05 %) and later cover the bunch.

Peter Caleb,
Horticulture scientist, Egerton University, Department of Crops, Horticulture and soils.