Pepper is a warm season crop that can be high yielding. Pepper farming is an activity which involves the planting of pepper seeds till the end stage of marketing the harvested peppers or the processed pepper products.
The yield of pepper depends on a lot of factors. Below are some of the tactics that can be used to increase the yield of pepper plants:
Training
A farmer who wants to achieve a good yield from his pepper farm should get trained in precision and modern farming techniques. He should not reply on how peppers are cultivated by his forebearers. The conventional pepper farmers in Nigeria record low yields because they use outdated farming techniques.
Financing
Without adequate capital, your dream of achieving a high yield in pepper farming can be a pipe dream. Your pepper farm will need adequate money to make profit. Pepper farmers should use their personal savings if possible. Loans from banks should be the last resort.
Farmland
A potential farmer should strive to get a fertile farmland; this will reduce his cost on fertilisers and also assure him of getting a good yield from his pepper farm.
Soil and Water Analysis
Never forsake soil and water analysis before you commit your funds on any farming venture. This is a golden rule. I have seen a potential investor who lost over N20 million because he did not conduct a soil analysis. Your soil analysis will show the nutrients and microbial composition of your soil.
Good employees
You should strive to recruit good farm hands or workers. Your workers can make or mar your farming project. There should be an effective and efficient way to manage and monitor your workforce.
Farm workers are usually recruited from the Republic of Benin, Togo and the northern part of Nigeria.
Preparation of your soil
Ploughing, harrowing and ridging are important activities that can increase the chances of achieving a high yield in farming. Manure and biological can also be added to the soil to improve it.
Use drip irrigation
The use of drip irrigation can increase the yield of a pepper farmer by 50-250%. It is the most efficient type of irrigation for vegetable farming. Drip irrigation will enable farmers to cultivate their crops all year round.
Fertilisers, pesticides and other inputs
The right quantity of fertilisers, pesticides and other inputs should be used at the right time. Seeds from reputable seed dealers should be used on your farm.
Crop Management
You should ensure that your crops are well monitored and taken care of. Vegetables like peppers are fragile; they need close monitoring and management to prevent pests and diseases and to assure good yield.
Harvesting
Yes, the way and frequency of your harvests can impact your yield. Prompt harvest can increase the yield of peppers significantly. Leaving matured pepper pods on the plants will prevent new pepper pods from forming. So frequent harvests can increase pepper yield.
Do you engage in pepper farming and your pepper yield is low? If yes, why not let us continue the conversation in the comments’ section.