Sustainable Practices for Vegetable Production in the South
Dr. Mary Peet, NCSU
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Pepper

Origin

Peppers were domesticated in Mexico. As early as 6000 years ago, red peppers were used in tropical South America as a spice to disguise the taste of bland or unpalatable food. An antioxidant, chili is also useful in preserving food. Chili peppers are called 'chile' in Mexico and Central America and 'aji' in South America and the West Indies. Columbus took peppers back to Europe where they rapidly became popular.

Hotness in peppers is determined by the amount of capsaicin present. Capsaicin, an acrid, volatile alkaloid and an ingredient in antidog, antibear, and antimugger sprays, is a general irritant that attacks any tissue it contacts. Some police departments even use these sprays to incapacitate violent suspects. This leads to the question of why many people love to eat 'hot' peppers. Eating chili releases neurotransmitters. These proteins cause the sensations of burning or pain. The body responds by increasing heart rate to increase metabolism and by increasing salivation. Endorphins are also produced by the body in response to capsaicin, which may account for the feeling of pleasure and well-being sought by 'chili-heads'.

Nutrition

One sweet bell pepper weighing 74g has 15 calories, 6 percent RDA of Vitamin A and 150 percent RDA Vitamin C. If the green peppers ripen on the plant long enough to color, both Vitamin A and Vitamin C content increase. One teaspoon of dried red pepper has 26 percent RDA of Vitamin A.

Pepper types

Type Size Shape Wall Hotness Use
Bell large blocky, few elongated thick Mostly sweet, fresh, cooked
Pimiento large heart-shaped thick None processing
Ancho large long, blocky thin 3 fresh
Anaheim large long, thin tapering thin 2-3 fresh
Cayenne med very thin, tapering thin 6-8 fresh, dried, processed
Cubanelle large irregular, blunt thin 2-3** processed, fresh
Jalapeno small oblong, blunt thick 5-6 precessed, fresh
Ornamental small slim thin 7 processed, fresh
Cherry small round, flattened thick 1 processed
Wax*** med. oblong thick varies fresh

**Sweet types also available. ***Also called Hungarian Wax.

Highest Pepper Production Acreage in the Southern Region

Sweet pepper: Florida, 19,554 Texas, 4,919 North Carolina, 3,943

Georgia, 3,745 Virginia, 1,134 Kentucky, 666
Hot pepper: Texas, 6,464 Florida, 1,049 Oklahoma, 427

North Carolina, 272 Louisiana, 240
Pimiento: Alabama, 300 Tennessee, 264 Kentucky, 132

Per Capita Consumption


 1970 1980 1993
Bell peppers 2.2 2.9 5.9

Integrated Pest Management

Overall, disease losses in the North Carolina pepper crop in 1987 were estimated to be 22 percent. Bacterial leaf spot, bacterial soft rot, and root knot nematode caused the greatest losses. Southern stem blight is also a problem in most years. The three main insect pests in Georgia in 1987 were pepper weevil, corn earworm and thrips. Many corn insects such as fall armyworm, corn earworm, corn borer, and hornworms also attack peppers. Planting peppers on or next to corn fields should be avoided.

Since it is hard to detect the larval stage of these corn insects in time to avoid damage to the plant, black light traps can be used to scout for the adult moth stage. Field scouting should intensify when five moths per night for five consecutive days are found.

Life cycles and monitoring and control practices for some of the common insect pests in the southern United States are described in Integrated Pest Management. Some of the important diseases of vegetables in the South and their control a re described in Disease Management. Cultivar resistances to the more common insects and diseases in the South are listed in Table 14.5 to highlight cultivars with multiple resistances. The list is not meant to be inclusive, however, as new resistant cultivars are constantly being released.

References

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Last Modified: Thursday, October 4, 2001