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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA


Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu


Publication 7217


BELL PEPPER PRODUCTION

IN CALIFORNIA


TIm HARTz and mARITA CANTwELL, University of

California Cooperative Extension Specialists, Department of Plant


Sciences, University of California, Davis; mICHELLE LESTRANgE,

RICHARD SmITH, JOSé AgUIAR, and OLEg DAUgOvISH,


University of California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisors


PRODUCTION AREAS AND SEASONS

California has four main bell pepper (Capsicum annu-

um L.) production areas: the southern desert valleys

(Imperial and Riverside Counties), Ventura County on

the southern coast, the central coast (San Luis Obispo,

Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Clara Counties), and

the Central Valley (Kern, Fresno, and San Joaquin

Counties).


Fields in the southern desert valleys are transplant-

ed in January or February for harvest from late April

through June. In Ventura County planting occurs

in April and May for harvest from July through

October. Along the central coast planting is done from

March to June for harvest from August to November.

Planting in the Central Valley begins in Kern County

in February and proceeds northward over the next

four months for harvest from late May to November.

For fall production in the southern desert valleys,

fields are transplanted in August for harvest from

October to December.


BELL PEPPER ACREAgE AND vALUE

Year Acreage Average yield


(tons/acre)

Gross value/


acre


2004 19,000 20.0 $11,460


2005 23,000 18.5 $10,420


2006 28,000 16.5 $10,220


Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service,
http://www.nass.usda.gov.


CLImATIC REQUIREmENTS

Bell pepper is a warm-season crop, sensitive to freez-

ing temperatures at any growth stage. The rate of seed

germination decreases rapidly below 77°F (25°C),

with germination below 68°F (20°C) exceedingly


slow. Day temperatures of 75° to 85°F (24° to 30°C)

with night temperatures about 15° to 20°F (9° to 12°C)

lower are ideal for growth. Although tolerant of tem-

peratures above 100°F (38°C), such extreme condi-

tions during bloom can reduce effective pollination,

fruit set, and yield.


vARIETIES AND PLANTINg

TECHNIQUES

A wide range of varieties are grown for both fresh

market and processing. These include varieties with

the traditional “blocky” 3- or 4-lobe shape as well as

longer, more pointed varieties known as European

Lamuyo types. Small acreages of specialty “colored”

peppers (mature fruit color other than red) are also

grown. Both hybrid and open-pollinated varieties are

used, with the trend toward greater use of hybrids.

Where hybrids are used, high seed cost mandates

transplanting rather than direct seeding; open-polli-

nated varieties can be either transplanted or seeded in

the field.


In the southern desert valleys and the coastal dis-

tricts peppers are commonly grown using fumigation,

plastic mulch, and drip irrigation. Peppers for fresh

market may also be staked for support, particularly

in fields to be harvested at mature fruit color. These

practices maximize earliness and yield and help com-

pensate for the high cost of land and water, particu-

larly in the coastal areas. No support or mulch is used

for processing peppers. Elsewhere in the state, neither

fumigation nor plastic mulching is common, although

individual growers may utilize them. Bed width

varies from 30 to 72 inches (0.75 to 1.8 m), with one

or two rows of plants per bed; in-row plant spacing

ranges from 8 to 16 inches (20 to 40 cm). Where direct

seeding is done, 0.5 to 2 pounds of seed per acre (0.6

to 2.2 kg/ha) is used. Higher rates are used early


Vegetable Production Series


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UC Vegetable Research

& Information Center


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http://www.nass.usda.gov

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in the season when soil temperature is suboptimal;

pepper seed germinates slowly and erratically below

68°F (20°C).


Greenhouse production of bell pepper is common in

Europe, Canada, and Mexico. In California greenhouse

production is still rare, but it likely to expand in com-

ing years. Production under shade cloth is already an

established technique in the southern desert.


SOILS

Many soil textures are used for bell pepper pro-

duction. Sandy soils are preferred for the earliest

plantings because they warm more rapidly in the

spring. Heavier soils can be quite productive, pro-

vided they are well drained and irrigated with care.

Phytophthora root rot, a soilborne fungal disease, can

be a serious problem in soils that receive excessive

irrigation or rainfall.


IRRIgATION

Statewide, at least half of bell pepper acreage is drip

irrigated, and the use of drip is increasing. Most drip

systems employ lines buried 2 to 10 inches (5 to 25

cm) deep, with either one or two drip lines per bed.

The irrigation requirement is determined by weather-

based reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimates

and crop growth stage. The frequency of irrigation

can vary from once or twice a week early in the sea-

son to daily during times of peak water demand.


The remainder of California pepper acreage is pre-

dominately furrow irrigated. Sprinkler irrigation is

sometimes employed for seedling establishment and

early- season watering, but it is seldom used for the

entire production season. The frequency of furrow

or sprinkler irrigation varies widely, depending on

soil type, environmental conditions, and crop growth

stage. Although peppers are moderately deep-rooted,

they are quite sensitive to moisture stress. Stress dur-

ing bloom can cause substantial reduction in fruit

set, while stress during early fruit development can

induce blossom end rot, a physiological disorder.

Soil moisture stress can also minimize foliage cover,

increasing sunburning of fruit.


FERTILIzATION

Bell pepper is among the most heavily fertilized crops

grown in California. Preplant phosphorus (P) appli-

cation of 80 to 200 pounds per acre (90 to 224 kg/

ha) of P2O5 is common; the higher rates are generally

used on early-spring plantings or in strongly alkaline

soils (> 7.5 pH). Many California soils have adequate

potassium (K), but in some areas K deficiency may be

encountered. Soils with ammonium acetate extract-

able K less than 150 ppm should be fertilized with

K; appropriate seasonal rates vary from 50 to 150


pounds per acre (56 to 168 kg/ha) of K2O, depending

on soil test value.


Regardless of irrigation technique, most P is

applied preplant, usually in a banded application.

Where drip irrigation is used, nitrogen (N) and K

are usually applied in numerous small fertigations

throughout the season. In conventionally irrigated

fields, N and K are applied preplant and in one or

more sidedressings; a late season water-run applica-

tion can also be used.


Nitrogen fertilization rates tend to be very high,

with many growers using more than 250 pounds per

acre (336 kg/ha) seasonally. It is a widespread belief

that very high N rates increase plant vigor, foliage

cover, and fruit size, which in turn increases yield and

decreases sunburn damage to fruit. This has not been

verified in replicated field tests, which have shown

that 180 to 240 pounds per acre (201 to 268 kg/ha) of

N is normally sufficient to produce maximum market-

able yield. In fields harvested over a prolonged period

(more than a month), somewhat higher seasonal rates

may be justified.


INTEgRATED PEST mANAgmENT

Detailed information about IPM for bell pepper is

available in the UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines

for Peppers, http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/

selectnewpest.peppers.html. Herbicides, insecticides,

and fungicides should always be used in compliance

with label instructions.


weed management

Control of annual and perennial weeds is a serious

problem in pepper production. Nearly all nonfumi-

gated fields are treated with preplant or preemer-

gence herbicides, or both; mechanical cultivation

and hand-hoeing are usually also required to achieve

acceptable weed control. Since pepper shows slow

early-season growth and the choice of selective her-

bicides is extremely limited, fields with heavy weed

infestations should be avoided. Black plastic bed

mulch is an aid in weed control as is drip irrigation,

which reduces weed pressure by maintaining a drier

soil surface.


Insect Identification and management

A wide variety of insect pests can cause severe dam-

age to pepper plantings. Flea beetles (Epitrix and

Phyllotreta spp.), cutworms (Agrotis and Peridroma

spp.), and wireworms (Limonius spp.) are common

seedling pests that periodically require control mea-

sures. Later in the season, aphids (Myzus persicae)

can build to damaging levels; more important, they

serve as vectors for several serious virus diseases.

Beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) and tomato fruit-

worm (Heliothis zea) can damage foliage as well as


2 • Bell Pepper Production in California


fruit. Pepper weevil (Anthonomus eugenii) can be a

serious pest of pepper fruit; damaging weevil popula-

tions are generally confined to Southern California.

In the southern areas tomato psyllid (Paratrioza cock-

erelli) and greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporari-

orum) may also require control measures. Leafminer

(Liriomyza spp.) is not a serious primary pest in pep-

per but can build to populations sufficient to defoliate

plants where heavy use of broad-spectrum insec-

ticides (used for control of other pests) destroy the

complex of beneficial insects that usually keep leaf-

miner populations in check.


Disease and Nematode Identification and

management

Phytophthora root rot (P. capsici) is widely distributed

in California pepper-growing regions. Disease sever-

ity is enhanced by excessive soil moisture, with plant

symptoms concentrated in low areas, at the end of

furrow-irrigated fields, or in areas of restricted inter-

nal drainage. Under these conditions damage from

Pythium spp. may also occur. There are no effective

chemical control measures; control depends primarily

on proper irrigation management. Genetic tolerance

to Phytophthora root rot is now available in some

recently released hybrid varieties. Peppers are sus-

ceptible to infection by Verticillium wilt (V. dahliae),

which in some fields may cause serious economic

loss. Soil fumigation, or rotation with crops for which

fumigation is used, aids in control of this and other

soilborne pathogens.


There are several potentially damaging foliar

pathogens of pepper. Bacterial spot (Xanthomonas

campestris), which can be seedborne or may over-

winter in crop residue in soil, can be severe in warm,

wet conditions. Luckily, extended wet conditions

are rare in California pepper-production areas, so

bacterial spot is not a major field problem. In special

circumstances (greenhouse production of transplants

or extended wet weather), chemical control may be

needed. Powdery mildew (Leveillula taurica) has only

recently been found on pepper in California, but

some severe defoliating outbreaks have occurred.

Until more information is developed on this disease

on pepper, a chemical control program should be ini-

tiated at the first sign of disease.


Viruses are the most damaging pepper disease

problem. The major aphid-vectored viruses are

cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), pepper mottle virus

(PeMV), tobacco etch virus (TEV), and potato virus Y

(PVY). Occurring alone or in combination, these virus-

es can devastate whole fields; however, their appear-

ance and severity are unpredictable. Insecticide appli-

cations are generally ineffective in controlling these

viruses since infection is frequently caused by the

feeding of transient winged aphids; insecticides may


be marginally beneficial in controlling subsequent

in-field spread of the viruses by colonizing aphids.

Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) is relatively common in

California pepper fields but does not often cause sig-

nificant yield loss. Curly top virus, a disease vectored

by the beet leafhopper (Circulifer tenellus), appears

periodically. It is most commonly observed in the

Central Valley, although it may occur elsewhere; seri-

ous economic loss from this virus is unusual. Tomato

spotted wilt virus, a disease vectored by several spe-

cies of thrips, can be locally severe; its incidence has

increased in recent years, particularly in the Central

Valley. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), historically a

serious pepper disease, is now controlled primarily

by the use of resistant varieties. Significant losses still

occur periodically where particularly virulent TMV

strains are present.


Soilborne pests of significance include the root

knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.). Root knot nema-

tode is a problem mainly in relatively sandy soils

where preceding crops were good nematode hosts.

Field selection, crop rotation, and soil fumigation are

nematode control strategies. Several abiotic disorders

can cause severe damage to peppers. Blossom end

rot, a calcium deficiency in the developing fruit, is

seldom caused by a lack of soil calcium; soil moisture

stress or heavy N fertilizer applications can induce

a transient calcium deficiency. The incidence of pep-

per spot (sometimes called pepper stip), a disorder

in which fruit develop small, discolored spots as they

mature, appears to be increasing. Although this dis-

order has been linked to low calcium content in the

fruit, neither soil- nor foliar-applied calcium consis-

tently reduces the incidence of pepper spot. Effective

control of this disorder is primarily through the use of

resistant varieties.


HARvESTINg AND HANDLINg

Bell peppers may be harvested either at the imma-

ture (green) stage, or after the mature color (red, yel-

low, etc., depending on variety) develops. In Ventura

County and the southern desert valleys most fields

are harvested at the mature color stage. Elsewhere it

is not uncommon for both green and mature fruit to

be harvested from the same field; the decision of what

maturity to harvest depends on current market price.

Processing uses (freezing, dehydrating, etc.) provide a

secondary market for bell pepper, particularly colored

fruit; substantial acreage is also grown specifically for

processing.


Fields are typically harvested multiple times at 10-

to 15-day intervals. Nearly all bell pepper is harvested

by hand, usually into bulk bins or trailers for transit to

a packing facility. A limited number of growers pack

peppers in the field from mobile packing platforms.


3 • Bell Pepper Production in California


The fruit are graded by size and condition. The stan-

dard unit of sale is a carton holding approximately 26

to 28 pounds (11.8 to 12.7 kg) of fruit. Some growers

of specialty bell peppers pack fruit in smaller cartons.


POSTHARvEST HANDLINg

To improve postharvest quality, peppers are cooled

before shipment or storage either by hydrocooling

(before packing) or forced-air cooling (after packing).

Peppers are sensitive to chilling injury below 45°F

(7°C); typical transit and storage conditions are 45°


to 55°F (7° to 13°C), with high humidity (90 to 95%).

Senescence of peppers is hastened by exposure to

ethylene, so storage with ethylene-producing fruit is

not recommended.


mARKETINg

Cartons are palletized, cooled and shipped, primar-

ily by truck, to terminal markets or wholesale receiv-

ers across the United States and Canada. Export of

fresh bell peppers from California is rare.


4 • Bell Pepper Production in California


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This publication has been anonymously peer reviewed for technical accuracy by University of California

scientists and other qualified professionals. This review process was managed by the ANR Associate Editor

for Vegetable Crops.


Publication 7217


ISBN-13: 978-1-60107-568-0


©1996, 2008 The Regents of the University of California

Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources

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BELL PEPPER PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA

PRODUCTION AREAS AND SEASONS

BELL PEPPER ACREAGE AND VALUE

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

VARIETIES AND PLANTING TECHNIQUES

SOILS

IRRIGATION

FERTILIZATION

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGMENT

Weed Management

Insect Identification and Management

Disease and Nematode Identification and Management


HARVESTING AND HANDLING

POSTHARVEST HANDLING

MARKETING

For Further Information

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