This document provides information on greenhouse cultivation of capsicum. It discusses climate and soil requirements, recommended hybrid varieties, nursery preparation, growing beds, fertilizer application, drip irrigation, pruning, training, and other cultivation practices. The optimal temperature range for capsicum is 26-28°C during the day and 16-18°C at night. Recommended hybrid varieties include IIHR Bangalore, Mahabharat, Indra, and Flavio which have yields of 16-100 t/ha and maturity periods of 65-150 days.

1. Prepared by:
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Assistant Professor
COH, R’Nagar, SKLTSHU
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2. Introduction
Climate and soil
Hybrids/varieties
Nursery & growing beds
Fertilizer application
Laying of drip line &
mulching
Spacing & transplanting
Irrigation & fertigation
Pruning & training
Nutritional disorders
Crop protection
Harvesting & yield
Economics
Conclusion
TOPIC DIVISION
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3. Introduction
• Capsicum (Capsicum annuum var. grossum) also known as bell
pepper or sweet pepper , leading vegetable grown in green houses
• It is rich in vitamin A, C and minerals
• Gaining popularity in peri-urban production systems because of
easy access to urban markets
• Yield gap between (field 20-40 t/ha) and (greenhouse 100-120 t/ha)
• Superior quality, substantial reduction in the use of pesticides and
eco-friendly proposition
• Mainly grown in HP, UP, MH, KA and hilly regions of TN
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4. Climate
• Capsicum is a cool season crop and day temperature less
than 30°C is favourable
• Higher temperature results in rapid plant growth and affects
fruit set
• Ideal temperature for flowering is 26-28°C day and 16-18°C
night
• Shading is required during summer to avoid temperature
build up in the greenhouses and moderately high RH
(50-60%) is preferred
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5. Soil
• Red or sandy loam soil
• Soil with pH of 5.5-6.8 is ideal
• High acidic soil reclaimed by using lime
• Capsicum has bidirectional root system, so soil
should be loose
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6. Hybrids
• Hybrids with indeterminate growth habit, as these
hybrids grow to a height of 2 m and above
• Commercial hybrids with a yield potential up to 100t/ha
and more are suitable for greenhouse cultivation.
• Capsicum fruits with Green, Yellow, Red, Orange and
recently Black colours are in great demand in urban
markets
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7. Coloures
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8. IIHR, Bangalore
• Indeterminate plant habit
• Thick fleshed, 2-3 lobed conical
fruits
• Average fruit weight 50-80 g
• Yield potential -16 t/ha
• Duration -150 days.
• Suitable for long distance
transport
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9. • Indeterminate plant habit with
green foliage
• Thick fleshed, 3-4 lobed green
blocky fruits
• Average fruit weight 130-150 g
• Fruits erect which turn orange
yellow on ripening
• Yield potential -16 t/ha
• Duration -150 days
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10. Indo American Hybrid Seeds
Mahabharat
• 3-4 lobed, blocky dark
green fruits
• Good shelf life
• High yielding
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11. INDRA
• Fruit is dark green, thick-walled and glossy
• Average weight 170 gm (12 x 10 cm)
• Having 3 - 4 lobes
• Longer shelf life
• Ideal for long distance transportation
• High export potential
OROBELLE
• Fruits are blocky, almost square (10 x 9 cm) with a
medium-thick wall.
• Average fruit weight is 150 g
• Suitable for green house cultivation
syngenta
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12. NS 280
Relative days to
maturity
: 70 - 75
Fruit colour : Green to red
Fruit size (g) : 200-230
Fruit shape : blocky
Plant habit : vigorous
Remarks : Very good quality
fruits, suitable for
Red fruit harvest
Namdhari seeds
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13. NS 281
Relative days to
maturity
: 65 - 70
Fruit colour : Green to Yellow
Fruit size (g) : 200-220
Fruit shape : blocky
Plant habit : vigorous
Remarks : Very good keeping
quality, turns to
Yellow on maturity
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14. Nunhems hybrid seeds
Flavio
Maturity : Early to Mid-Early
Fruit Colour : Deep green going to
deep red
Plant
Characteristics
: Good plant vigour
and leaf cover
Fruit
Characteristics
: Semi blocky/short
type
Adaptation : Suited for Spring-
Summer
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15. Nursery
• Pro-trays (98 cells) are filled with growing medium and tapped
gently to fill the cells properly
• Shallow depressions of about 5mm depth are made in each cell
• Commercial cocopeat having enough moisture is used, no
irrigation is required till seeds germinate
• Filled trays are staked one above the other and covered with a
plastic sheet to create warmth and humidity require for germination
• Seedlings are raised in seedling trays placed inside a net house or
polyhouse
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17. Growing beds
• Digging loosens the soil, then clods are broken and soil is
brought to fine tilth
• Beds of 100 cm width and 15 cm height are prepared leaving
50 cm working space between the beds
• Well decomposed organic manure, at the rate of one bamboo
basket per square meter of the bed is added, mixed
thoroughly and the beds are levelled
• In heavy soils mixing sand up to 25% is required to
provide aeration at the root zone
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18. Disinfecting the growing beds
• Beds are drenched using 4% formaldehyde (4 L/m2) of the
bed and covered with polyethylene sheet
• Care should be taken to wear mask, gloves and apron to avoid
direct contact with formaldehyde fumes
• Four days after formaldehyde treatment, the polyethylene cover
removed, the beds are raked repeatedly every day
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23. Application of neem cake and Trichoderma
• Neem cake is slightly watered to moisten and kept for two days,
and then it is mixed with Trichoderma formulation at the rate of
1 kg/100kg neem cake
• Mixture is closed with plastic sheet and turned thoroughly on
alternate days
• After 15 days the neem cake + Trichoderma formulation will be
ready for application
• Neem cake plus Trichoderma formulation is applied before
planting but after formaldehyde fumes are exhausted completely
@ of 200 g/ m2
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24. Fertilizer application
• Commercial fertilizers supplying 50:50:50 N:P2O5:K2O
kg/ha, are applied to the growing beds
• Two furrows are opened in the growing beds and
fertilizer mixture is applied in the furrows and furrows
are closed
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26. Laying of drip line
• Place one inline drip lateral at the centre of the bed
• Inline lateral having an emitting point for every 30
cm interval with discharge of 2 L/hr.
• Run drip system with water to check each emitting
points for uniform discharge of water
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28. Mulching
• 100 micron thick polyethylene mulch film of 1.2 m width is
used to cover the planting bed
• Holes of 5 cm diameter are made on the mulch film as per
recommended spacing (45 x 30 cm)
• The planting beds are covered with the mulch from by
securing the edges of the sheet firmly in the soil
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29. Spacing
• Seedlings are
planted in
paired rows in
one meter
wide beds
with spacing
of 45 x30 cm.
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30. Transplanting
• Seedlings of 30-35 days old, vigorous and uniform in size are selected
• Early morning hours or preferably in the evening
• Capsicum seedlings are planted in the holes made in the polyethylene
mulch film so that the seedlings do not touch the film
• Watering the beds is done daily with a rose can till the seedlings get
established well
• Drenching with 0.3% COC if mortality of the seedlings is noticed
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33. Irrigation
• Dip irrigation starts 10 days after transplanting
• Drip irrigation is given daily to supply 2-3 litres of water
per square meter per day depending on local weather
condition
• Capsicum extract 70-8O% of water used from a depth of 0-
30
cm
• Bell pepper requires 110 cm of water (Hedge, 1993)
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34. Fertigation
• Water soluble fertilizers supplying 19% each of N,
P2O5 and K2O is used at the rate of 2.25 g/m2 for every
fertigation, given twice a week
• Capsicum crop is sprayed with micronutrient
formulation (3g/l) 2-3 times once in 30 days starting
from 60 days after transplanting
• Capsicum is found to be susceptible to calcium
deficiency
• The crop is fertigated 2-3 times with CaNO3 once in 15
days if calcium deficiency is noticed
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35. The total dose of 150 kg each of N: P2O5: K2O per hectare using
water-soluble fertilizers is given through fertigation for entire crop
growth period, twice a week, starting from third week after transplanting
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36. Pinching / Topping
• Lateral shoots or
branches are pinched
on first leaf
(internodes) or
second-leaf
(internodes)
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37. Pinching / Topping
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38. Pruning
• Prune to retain four stems and done at weekly interval starting from
15-20 DAT
• Dichotomous branching and split into two at 5th or 6th node 15-20
DAT
• Again split into two giving rise to four branches by 25-30 DAT and
are maintained till the end of the crop
• At every node the tip splits in to two giving rise to one strong and
one weak branch
• From 4th month onwards the pruning operation will be done once in
a 10 days
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39.  Initially single stem
 Terminal flower-main stem
divide into two
 Flowering 1st branch – crown
bud
 Terminal flowering is not
allowed
Two main branch pruning system
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40. Four main branch pruning system
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41. Training
• Plants are trained along a plastic twine
• Plastic twines are tied to the GI wire grid provided at 2.5 to
3.0 m height and then to the base of the plant
• Branch is tied to the plastic twine with (3 ply)
• Tying plants to the plastic twine starts from 6th week after
transplanting at 20 days interval
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43. Capsicum plants trellised to the 'V' system (left) & double
row trellised system (right)
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44. Cultivation of capsicum in polybags
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45. Capsicum cultivation in net house
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46. Capsicum cultivation in full controlled polyhouse
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47. Two growing conditions
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48. Pruning levels
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49. Flat fruits
• Caused by low temperature
• Night temperatures of around
18°C ensure an ideal seed set and
fruit shape
• Low-night temperatures decrease
pollen viability
• Modify flower structure making
self pollination less effective
• Bumblebees for pollination -help
greatly to improve fruit shape
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50. Pollination without bees
Pollination with bees
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51. Blossom end rot
• Excess of nitrogen &
water stress
• Water soaked area near
blossom end
• Later become light
brown and leathery
• Spraying of 2% CaCl2
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52. Fruit load and fruit growth
• Excess fruit load –cause decaying of roots
• Number of fruits/plant –light, temperature & plant size
• Good light condition - 20 to24 fruits/m²
• Poor light condition -10 to12 fruits/m²
• 5-9 weeks after fruit set -reach full size
• After 3-4 weeks - full colour
• Total period (full bloom to coloured fruit) -7-12 weeks
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53. Sanitation
• Removal of old and diseased leaves
• Polyhouse or net house and the structure is kept clean without
any plant debries or weeds
• Allowing visitors is discouraged inside the protected structure
as it may allow insect pests and vectors to enter into the
greenhouse
• Provision is made to wash the foot and the hands with KMnO4
solution (0.5%) at the entrance of the protected structure
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54. Diseases of capsicum under protected condition and their management
Disease Symptoms Control
Powdery mildew:
Laveillula taurica
Whitish patches appear on the
leaves, stem and rarely on
fruit.
Karathane (0.1%) Calixin
(0.1%) Sulfex (0.3%)
Fungal Downy Mildew
Peronospora tabacini
pale yellow areas on the upper
sides of the leaves. On the
lower side of the leaf the
downy growth appears in
cool moist weather.
Karathane (0.1%) Calixin
(0.1%)
contaf(0.05%),Rubigon(0.025%)
Bacterial diseases
a) Soft rot (Erwinia carotovora)
b) Bacterial spot (Xanthomonas
versicatoria)
Which causes a soft slimy rot.
Which forms a raised rough
pimply area on the fruit, On
the leaves, the spot is first
raised and wart like, and
becomes necrotic spots with
dark margins. The affected
leaves turn yellow and drop.
*Hot water treatments, clean
cultivation
*Streptomycin spray
Viral diseases
a)Leaf curl virus
b) CMV
Yellowing, curling, mottling of
leaves and ultimately death
of plant is seen.
Clean cultivation, vector control,
etc…
Fusarium wilt
Fusarium oxysporum
Yellowing of leaves, Wilting,
coller rot, death of root
COC drench, Carbendizim,
Dithane M-45
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55. Pests of capsicum under protected condition and their management
Pest Symptoms and damage Management
Thrips:
Scirtothrips
dorsalis
serious during dry periods, Both adult
and nymphs suck the sap from
developing leaves. Affected leaves curl
upwards along the margin and are
reduced in size.
Acephate (Starthane 75WP) 1.5g/
or Imidacloprid (confidor)0.5ml/l
-Application of Neem cake 250
kg/ha to kill pupae
White or
yellow mite:
Polyphgotersone
mus latus
Damage is more in hot and humid
seasons and greenhouse (when
temperature is high).
Spray Abamectin (Vertimec)
(0.5ml/l) or Dicofol (Kelthane)
(2ml/l)
4% (NSKE) in rotation.
Aphids: Aphis
gossypi,
Myzus persicae
Minute insects, colonies of aphids suck
the sap from tender leaves and flower
buds.
Aphids act as a vector for transmitting
mosaic virus disease
-Remove all the virus affected
plants and destroy.
-Spray Imidacloprid (Confidor)
(0.5ml/l) or
Dimethoate (Rogor) 1 ml/l in
rotation
Fruit borer,
Helicoverpa
armigera
This pest is not serious in greenhouse. Spray Nuclear PolyhedrosisVirus
(NPV) (Helicoverpa NPV)
250 LE/ha + teepol or any
sticker1% during evening to
protect NPV from UV rays
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56. Use of sticky boards for management of sucking pest
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57. Harvesting
• Capsicum fruit starts 60 DAT in case of
green, 80-90 DAT in case of yellow and red fruited
hybrids
• Continues up to 170-180 days at 10 days
interval in green and up to 240-270 days in red and
yellow
• Fruits that are mature green, when it is 75% yellow and
100% red are harvested and kept in cool place avoiding
direct exposure to sunlight
• Harvesting with sharp knife /blade close to the stem end
to have good appearance and to reduce the possibility of
fungal infection like botrytis
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58. Yield
• A yield of 100-120 t/ha
(10-12 kg/m2, 2.25-2.70
kg/plant) can be expected
from a single crop
• Average individual fruit
weight varies from 180 g
in initial harvests to 100g
in lasts harvests
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59. Grading
• Size
• Shape
• Colour
• Appearance
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60. Packing
Packed in card board boxes using paper shreds as the
padding material
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62. Post harvest handling and
storage
Shrink wrapping each fruit and storing at 70 to 80C- storability up to
45 to 60 days.
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63. Economics of capsicum production in a greenhouse (100m2 area, 22 m x 45 m, for 6 months period)
Sl. no. Item Total cost (₹)
1 Establishment cost (1st year)
A Structure and sheet 400000
B Irrigation and fertigation system 12000
C Misting 24000
D Miscellaneous 7000
Total 1 443000
2 Shade net (100m2 @₹16/m2, every five years) 16000
3 Polysheet (1900 m2 @₹ 125/kg, 5 m2/kg) and nylon net (225 m2 @ ₹ 20/m2) labour
charges at 10 % cost of the material, every 2 years) 62150
4 Every year
A FYM (16 tractor loads/960 cft/24 tonnes @ ₹ 700 per tractor load) 11200
B Formaldehyde 40% (200 liters @ ₹ 20/liter) 8000
C Mulching (72 kg @ ₹ 90/kg) 6480
Total 4 25680
5 Every season
a Seedlings (2700 seedlings @ ₹ 1 per seedling) 4800
b Chemical fertilizers 2280
c Plastic twine (25 kg @ ₹ 70 per kg) 1750
d Fungicides 4708
e Insecticides 1304
f Labour (218 man days @ ₹ 75/man/day) 12900
g Miscellaneous (electricity charges etc.) 3000
Total 5 30742
The estimated cost of production is ₹ 7.93/kg
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64. Conclusion
• Cultivable land is decreasing day by day due to industrialization
• Only alternative to achieve self sufficiency, which are resource efficient
and intensive
• Development of technology and standardization of package of practices
for protected cultivation of capsicum will greatly help farmers growing this
crop with higher remuneration
• Identification of varieties/hybrids specifically suitable for protected
cultivation can increase the productivity and production
• Better quality produce which can be export to get higher returns
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65. T
H
A
N
K
U
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