Friday, March 13, 2009

Free Information on Chili Pests

By James Peterson

Cutworms, Feltia subterranea (F.) and .Peridroma saucia (Htibn.) are often severe on newly set plants, cutting them off near the surface of the soil. The smooth, stout, soft-bodied larvae are usually dull- coloured and up to 4 cm long. They can be controlled by poisoned bait. Aphids, particularly the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and the potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), are the most common and widely distributed of the pests of capsicums. Infection can occur in the nursery or hotbed. They are the vectors of virus diseases. It is important to control aphids by dusting or spraying as soon as the first infestation is evident and as often as necessary thereafter.

Crushed red pepper (`pepperone rosso and pizza pepper') is prepared from many hot capsicum varieties and is used in sausage meat, spaghetti and pizza. Chili pepper is a blend of Mexican and Californian capsicums, and chili powder is a mixture containing ground chili pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic powder and other spices. They are not always as hot as commonly believed since some preparations include the milder types of C. annuum.

Flea beetles, Epitrix spp. and Systena blanch., Melsh., can do extensive damage. These jumping beetles are particularly damaging to young plants. Hornworms, Protoparce quinquemaculata (Haw.) and P. sexta (Joh.) devour the leaves of capsicums in northern America. The large green larvae have diagonal lines along the sides and a pronounced horn on the rear end. In small fields they can be controlled by hand-picking, but in large fields dusting or spraying with a suitable pesticide may be necessary. Fennah (1947) says that Phlegethontius sextus (Joh.) is a pest of capsicum in the West Indies. (This is a synonym for Protopace sexta Butl.)

Many cultivars exist and the ease with which those of the same species cross can be used for the breeding and selection of improved cultivars. With the discovery of cytoplasmically inherited male sterility (Peterson, 1958), hybrid F, seed can now be cheaply produced. High temperatures accentuate the sterile condition.

Nomenclature and types Chillies and capsicums The numerous varieties of Capsicum species traded in the dried form are grown in many areas and differ considerably in the size, shape and pungency of the fruit; and have been ascribed various botanical classifications and vernacular names in the literature. Traditionally, the smaller-fruited, more pungent types have been known as chillies while the somewhat larger, mildly to moderately pungent types have been known as capsicums. The former type are valued principally for their high pungency and the latter for their colour in combination with pungency.

In commerce, however, the words 'chillies' and 'capsicums' are often used interchangeably and indiscriminately and this can lead to confusion over the characteristics of the material in question. For example, Japanese Santakas and Nigerian Funtuas possess a moderate degree of pungency associated with capsicums but in the trade they are frequently described as chillies. - 15790

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