Vol. 10, Issue 12 (2021)

Author(s):
Pesaralanka Vysali, Kodukula Subramanyam and Indra Kumar Kasi

Abstract:
Chilli is one among the important commercial spices. It has a significant demand in the market because of its use in day-to-day life. Cultivation of chilli has its own difficulties because of the biotic (insects & diseases) and abiotic (water related problems & nutrient related problems) threats. For managing both the threats, it requires an integrated approach for making it smooth and affordable. Excess irrigation leads to the vigorous growth of weeds and pests. It can be controlled by opting for drip irrigation which can save water up to 62% and inclines the yield up to 43% in chilli. Nutrient deficiency also can be threat to the crop. It has to be maintained by providing the appropriate fertilizers with recommended dosage. Combined application of organic manures (FYM, poultry manure, neem cake) and inorganic manures along with bio fertilisers (Azospirillum, Phosphobacteria) help the growth and yield of the chilli crop by enhancing the nutritive uptake. Biotic threats (insects & diseases) can be maintained by the mixed approach of management practices viz., crop rotation, installation of traps (yellow sticky, blue sticky and pheromone), planting the border crops (maize, sorghum), botanicals application (Neem cake, neem oil) and minimal toxic chemicals can effectively control the pest population in chilli. Leaf curl virus is the fatal disease which can only be prevented rather than managed. For rest of the fungal diseases (Anthracnose, Cercospora leaf spot) biocontrol control agents like Trichoderma spp. can effectively control the diseases. This review paper is the baseline work of future DST-SEED project at Guntur, Andhra Pradesh India.