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Publication #HS-859

Pepper Production in Miami-Dade County, Florida1

Y. C. Li, W. Klassen, M. Lamberts and T. Olczyk2

Situation

Pepper is a very important traditional vegetable crop in Miami-Dade County grown on more than 3,500, and sold nationwide during the winter in the fresh market. Yields range from less than 1000 bushels/acre to more than 3,000 cwt/acre. The production cost may exceed $12 per bushel or $12,100/acre for an acceptable yield of 1,000 bushel.

Varieties

Refer to the Vegetable Production Guide for Florida (SP170) for variety selection. The major varieties currently grown in the Miami-Dade County are as follows:

Cubanelle type: Aruba, Key West, and Key Largo.

Specialty type: Habanero, Mitla jalapeno, Xatapa jalapeno, Grande jalapeno, Hungariane, Hot Wax, Messilla, Long Thin Red Cayenne, and Large Red Thick Cayenne.

In recent years Bell type pepper has not been grown on a significant scale in Miami-Dade County.

Soils, Land Preparation and Transplanting

Pepper in Miami-Dade County is grown on gravelly soils or transition soils between gravelly and marl soils. Pepper is sensitive to flooding. There is a high risk of losing the peppers by flooding of marl soils which have high water tables. Planting on raised beds reduces losses during periods of flooding.

Typically pepper raised beds are 36-40 inches wide, 6-8 inches high and spaced 6 ft between the centers of adjacent beds. Preplant fertilizer should be applied in two parallel bands, each about 9 inches from the center of the bed, and incorporated into the soil by rototilling to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. After rototilling, the bed must be re-formed. The bed should be irrigated and kept moist for at least a week to promote the germination of weed seeds. Then, if the bed has become dry, it should be irrigated again one day before the application of a fumigant. During the fumigation operation either one or two drip irrigation tubings, 12 to 14 inches apart, are installed in the surface layer, and the bed is immediately covered with plastic mulch.

To allow sufficient time for the fumigant to dissipate completely, pepper seedlings should not be transplanted into the fumigated bed until at least a week after application of the fumigant. Transplanting season extends from September to late February. Seedlings should be spaced 9-12 inches apart, and set 2-3 inches deep. In some varieties the plants must be supported by means of a trellis consisting of short rebar stakes and string.

Fertilizer

Calibrated soil tests for the calcareous soils of Miami-Dade County are not available at present. Therefore, tissue analysis is recommended to determine the composition and rates of fertilizers to be applied. Instructions for tissue sample collection, preparation and submission are provided in Plant Tissue Information Sheet (SL-131), which is available from the Miami-Dade County Cooperative Extension Service. Information on plant tissue analysis for pepper is provided in the Vegetable Production Guide for Florida (SP170). The total amount of fertilizer required in Miami-Dade County depends on the variety, soil fertility, and other environmental factors. Preplanting fertilizer formulas of 6-6-6, 6-3-6, 10-10-10, or similar formulas are satisfactory. All P fertilizer and less than one-half of N and K fertilizer should be applied to the beds prior to planting. Fertigation should be initiated with a 4-0-8 or similar formula 3-4 weeks after transplanting to provide the remaining fertilizer. The beds should be fertigated once or twice per week with daily rates ranging from 0.5 lb N to 2.0 lb N/acre (refer to the Vegetable Production Guide for Florida). Magnesium nitrate or sulfate and EDDHA-chelated iron should be applied if deficiency symptoms appear.

Irrigation and Freeze Protection

Drip irrigation systems are generally used for pepper production in Miami-Dade County. Generally one drip irrigation tubing per bed provides adequate water for plants, although a second is beneficial especially while the plants' root systems are small. Water requirements for young plants are very low. Irrigation frequencies of once or twice per week suffice for most plastic mulched young plants. A tensiometer installed at 6” depth can be used for irrigation scheduling. Optimal plant growth and yields are achieved when the soil moisture is maintained at tensiometer readings between 10 to 15 cbars. The Miami-Dade County Cooperative Extension Service provides relevant information and services regarding tensiometers.

Pepper sustains chilling injury when temperatures drop 2 °F below freezing. Therefore growers in Miami-Dade County make arrangements for freeze protection of pepper from the beginning of December through February. A high volume solid set sprinkler irrigation system with a water delivery rate of 0.25 inch per hour should be used. Row covers can also be used.

Insect Management

Refer to the Vegetable Production Guide for Florida (SP170) for extensive information on insect control. The major pests of pepper are the pepper weevil, beet armyworm, tomato fruitworm, looper, and melon thrips. Preventive sprays are required against the pepper weevil, since by the time infested fruit begin to drop, many fruit are already infested. The flowers should be checked for the presence of the melon thrips, and if they are present sprays should be applied without delay.

Disease Management

Refer to the Vegetable Production Guide for Florida (SP170). Major diseases include bacterial spot, phytophora root rot, and mosaic viruses.

Weed Management

Refer to the Vegetable Production Guide for Florida (SP170).

Harvest

The harvest season extends from November into April. All peppers are picked by hand.

Multiple Cropping/Rotation

Pepper can be rotated with tomato, squash, okra, cucumber, watermelon, cantaloupe, okra and other specialty vegetables or herbs. However there is risk in rotating peppers with cucurbits because of Phytophthora blight. This disease is caused by Phytophthora capsici, which develops explosively in moist conditions and produces large numbers of infective sporangia. The disease is very damaging and difficult to control.

Footnotes

1.

This document is HS-859, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Revised: April 2006. Reviewed July 2009. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/. This document is written specifically for growers in Miami-Dade County as a supplement to Vegetable Production Guide for Florida (SP170) (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MENU_CV:VEGPROD). We thank many colleagues, growers and representatives from seed and chemical companies and grower services for reviewing the document.

2.

Y. C. Li, Professor, Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL; W. Klassen, Professor Emeritus, Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL., Mary Lamberts, Extension Agent IV, Miami-Dade County Extension, Teresa Olczyk, Extension Agent IV, Miami-Dade County Extension, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.