Research Center Bajo

PACKAGE OF PRACTICES FOR CHILI PRODUCTION IN BHUTAN

Chili is by far the most important vegetable in Bhutan. Local markets are never without chili, always teemed with different colors and sizes, in fresh and dried form. Bhutanese call this crop ema (in Dzongkha) or solo (in Sharchop). Chili is a staple vegetable in Bhutan; the famous ema datsi recipe is entirely made of chilli mixed with local cheese. Chilli is also important ingredients in almost all curries and food recipes.

All Dzongkhags grow chili for home consumption or for sale in domestic market. Some Dzongkhags like Tashi Yangste, Tashigang, Wangduephodrang produces early chilli and fetches premium price. The top chili producing Dzongkhags in 2004 were: Paro, Punakha Wangduephrodrang, Thimphu and Tashigang and chilli is produce in less amount in Southern Bhutan. Chilli production is 2848.6MT in the year 2000, of which 925.96MT are exported, mainly to India (Source-PPD, 2003).

Bhutanese cultivate the chilli in rice based farming system and in dry land as sole cropping or other cereals based cropping system. In rice based farming system it is cultivated before rice and this crop is mainly targeted for early season market and get premium price (G. Tshering, personnal communication). Chilli production in dry land particularly in higher elevation is done for late season fresh or dry chilli market. The yield varies from one area to another and based on management aspects but average yield is about 15-20t/ha. The selling price of the chilli varies with season and cultivars. The market price is as high as Nu.100-200/kg in Thimphu for the fresh chilli appearing first in the market, price falls as the season progresses and stabilizes at 15-20/kg in the main season (June-September). The fresh chill price increases again in the local market late in the season (October to December) as the production and supply of Bhutanese chilli falls (G. Tshering, 2006, personal communication). The selling price of dried chilli is Nu. 50-60/kg in the local market. The production cost of Bhutanese fresh chilli is about Nu. 15.49/kg in the west-central region and farmers earns good profit from chilli farming enterprise.

1. PRE-PRODUCTION STAGE

A. IDEAL GROWING CONDITIONS

B. CHOICE OF VARIETY

The choice of variety depends on end uses or market demand such as Sha ema and Baegop ema are suitable both for fresh and dried produces marketing and high demand in domestic market while Super solo is suitable for fresh and salad purposes but with less demand in the market at the moment. The recommended varieties are given below:

Variety Name Altitude
(m) Recom-mended Dzongkhags Days to Maturity Pest/ Disease Reaction Potential Yield
(t/ha)
Sha Ema 250m to 2600masl All Dzongkhags Depends on elevation/temperature Susceptible to Phytopthrora wilt and chilli mosaic virus
Baegop Ema 250m to 2600masl All Dzongkhags Depends on elevation/temperature Susceptible to Phytopthrora wilt and chilli mosaic virus
Super Solo 1000 to 2600masl In most of the Dozngkhag Depends on elevation/temperature Susceptible to Phytopthrora wilt and chilli mosaic virus 48

Characteristics of Main Chili Varieties Grown in Bhutan

Sha Ema (Fig1)

• Plant size: Medium
• Fruit orientation: Pendent
• Fruit shape: Elongated, shoulder at the calyx area and with blunt tips
• Fruit colour (not ripe): Green
• Fruit colour (ripe): Red
• Fruit length: 8 cm
• Fruit width: 2.4 cm
• Average fruit weight: 23.7 g
• Seed percentage: 8%
• Pedicel length: 3.1 cm
• Fruit wall thickness: 0.3 cm (thick)
• Pungency : Mild
• Number of lobs: 3
• Yield : 15-25 t/ha

Baegop ema

• Plant size: Medium
• Fruit orientation: Pendent
• Fruit shape: Elongated, no shoulder, calyx covering the entire base of fruit and with pointed tips
• Fruit colour (not ripe): Green
• Fruit colour (ripe): Red
• Fruit length: 8.7 cm
• Fruit width: 1.7 cm
• Average fruit weight: 20.5 g
• Seed percentage: 9%
• Pedicel length: 3.2 cm
• Fruit wall thickness: 0.25 cm (thick)
• Pungency : Mild
• Number of lobs: 3
• Yield : 15-25 t/ha

Super Solo
• Plant height is 61 cm
• Pungency is milder than Sha
Ema though fruit shape is
Similar but pointed tips
• Fruit length is 18.5 cm,
width is 4 cm.
• weight is 80 g and fruit wall is thicker than Sha ema
• It is good as fresh vegetable and salad purposes
• Not Suitable as dried chilli as it is difficult to dry and quality of dried chilli is poor.

II. PRODUCTION STAGE

1. Nursery Preparation

• Plough & pulverize the soil thoroughly. Prepare nursery bed measuring 1 m wide and 15-20 cm high and of convenient length (3-5m).
• Treat seeds with Bavistin (Carbendazim) @ 2gm/ kg seed, against Phytopthora and other seed borne diseases.
• Seed rate is about 0.5-1 kg of quality seed per acre with minimum germination of 75%.
• Sow seeds about 2 cm deep in lines at cm apart.
• In mid-elevation areas, raised nursery in polytunnel for early chilli production and normal open nursery for main season chilli production.
• In high-elevation areas, sow the seeds in plastic tunnel. This will bring forward the growing season by one month.
• The seedlings are ready for transplanting in about 30 to 60 days after sowing depending on the elevation under ambient conditions or when the seedlings attained 12-15 cm height.

2. Field Preparation

• Cultivate, pulverize and level the field after bringing soil to a good tilth.
• Raise 1m wide, 15-20 cm high beds and any convenient length( 3-5m). Proper levelling of field and beds is important for water and disease management
• Raised bed and drainage is important for chilli wilt management
• Apply 10-12MT of well rotten FYM and 20:30:15 NPK kg/acre as basal dose.
• Apply all FYM during field preparation. Apply all the basal fertilizer at about 9-10gm of fertilizer mixture per planting hill and mix them into the soil with the help of a hand hoes.
3. Transplanting

• Transplant seedlings of 12-15cm high, preferably during evening time and water immediately to avoid transplanting shock.
• Transplant the seedlings at 45 cm between rows and 30 cm between plants in a row or a population of at least 25,000 plants per acre.
• Top-dress the crop with 10 kg of additional nitrogen after 30 and 60 days after transplanting. Split the top dressing fertilizer in two halves in very light soils.

4. Weeding

• The crop needs to be maintained free from weeds competing for water, air, nutrients and space and eventually effecting on crop performance. May be 3-4 weeding/hoeing may be necessary depending upon the weed pressure, soil structure and weather conditions of the locality

5. Irrigation

• Irrigate manually using water cans or hose pipe. Frequency of irrigation depends the moisture retention capacity of the soil, amount and frequency of rainfall & local weather conditions (evapo-transpiration).
• The soil moisture regime needs to be maintained at field capacity right after transplanting till harvest.
• Excess water or water logging is harmful to plants and makes congenial environment for phytopthora wilt disease to explode and completely destroy the crop.

6. Harvesting

• Chilli crop matures in 120-130 days after sowing in mid altitudes and it might take even longer in higher elevation or harvest it when the few fruits color turns red.
• There will be 3-6 harvests/pickings depending on the elevation of area and difference in the crop management aspects. For instances, in higher elevation less numbers of pickings than in mid elevation areas.

References:

1. Additional New Horticulture Technology (2005), RNRRC-Bajo, CORRB, MOA.
2. Package of Practices for Vegetable Production (2001), Horticulture Section, RNRRC-Bajo, DRDS, Ministry of Agriculture.
3. Guidelines for Chilli cultivation (1994), IHDP, Ministry of Agriculture.
4. RNR Technical recommendation (2003), RNRRC-Khangma, DRDS, Ministry of Agriculture.
5. Facts and Figures of RNR Sector 2003. PPD, Ministry of Agriculture.
6. RNR Statistics (2004), DOA, MOA.

By
Mr. Gyembo Tshering
Program Officer,
Horticulture Sector
Renewable Natural Resources Research Center Bajo, Wangdue Phodrang
Tel. No. 02481209
E-mail address:gtshering@druknet.bt