1. ORIGIN

The pepper is native to the area of ​​Bolivia and Peru, where in addition to Capsicum annuum L. were cultivated at least four other species. It was brought and known to the Old World by Columbus on his first voyage (1493). In the sixteenth century it had already begun to grow in Spain, from where it was distributed to the rest of Europe and the world with the help of the Portuguese.
Its beginning in Europe was a culinary advance, since it came to complement and even replace another widely used condiment such as black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), of great commercial importance between East and West.

2. TAXONOMY AND MORPHOLOGY

-Family: Solanaceae.
-Species: Capsicum annuum L.
-Plant: perennial herbaceous, with a cycle of annual cultivation of variable size between the 0,5 meters (in certain and diverse of open-air cultivation) and more than 2 meters (great part of the hybrids cultivated in greenhouse).

- Root system: pivoting and deep (depending on the depth and texture of the soil), with numerous adventitious roots that horizontally can reach a length between 50 centimeters and 1 meter.

-Main size: limited and erect growth. From a certain height ("cross") it emits 2 or 3 branches (depending on the difference between them) and continues branching in a dichotomous manner until the end of its cycle (the secondary stems bifurcate after sprouting several leaves, and so on ).

-Hoja: whole, hairless and lanceolate, with a very prominent apex (acuminate) and a long and little apparent petiole. The beam is glabrous (smooth and soft to the touch) and green more or less intense (depending on its difference) and bright.

-Flower: the flowers appear solitary in each node of the stem, with insertion in the armpits of the leaves. They are small and consist of a white corolla. Pollination is self-pollinated, although a percentage of allogamy can be present that does not exceed 10%.

-Fruit: hollow berry, semicartilaginous and depressed, of variable color (green, red, yellow, orange, violet or white); some varieties go from green to orange and red as they mature. Its size is variable, and can weigh from a few grams to more than 500 grams. The seeds are inserted in a central placental conical placenta. They are rounded, slightly reniform, pale yellow and variable length between 3 and 5 millimeters.

3. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

The success of pepper is that it is a crop with three different consumption: pepper in fresh, for paprika and for preserves.
The demand of the European markets for fresh peppers throughout the year has grown marvelously and has resulted in the development of greenhouse cultivation throughout the Spanish Mediterranean coast.
The pepper is one of the greenhouse horticultural crops with the largest area under cultivation in our country, with almost half of the production being located in Almeria, Alicante and Murcia.

4. EDAFOCLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS

The rational management of climatic factors together is fundamental for the proper functioning of the crop, since all are closely related and the action on one of these affects the rest.

-Temperature: it is a demanding plant in temperature (more than the tomato and less than the aubergine).

Critical temperatures for peppers in the different stages of development

The thermal jumps (difference of temperature between the maximum diurnal and the nocturnal minimum) cause vegetative imbalances.

-Humidity: the optimum relative humidity ranges between 50% and 70%. Very high relative humidity promotes the development of aerial diseases and hinders fertilization. The coincidence of high temperatures and low relative humidity can cause the fall of freshly set flowers and fruits.

-Luminosity: it is a very demanding plant in luminosity, especially in the first stages of development and during flowering.

- Soil: the most common soils for the cultivation of pepper are franco-sandy, deep, rich, with an organic matter content of 3-4% and mainly well drained.
The optimal pH values ​​range between 6.5 and 7 although it can withstand certain acidity conditions (up to a pH of 5.5); in sanded soils it can be cultivated with pH values ​​close to 8. In terms of irrigation water, the optimum pH is 5.5 to 7.
It is a kind of moderate tolerance to the salinity of both soil and irrigation water, although to a lesser extent than tomatoes.
In soils with a history of Phytophthora sp. It is advisable to carry out a disinfection prior to planting.

5. CULTIVATION

Growing morron
For cultivation, an average ambient temperature of 20 ° C is essential, without many changes in temperature and with a humidity rate that is not too high. It needs a lot of light, especially during the first growth period after germination.

It can be grown on any type of soil with moisture. The perfect soil is one that has good drainage, with the presence of sands and organic matter. All these requirements make them grown in greenhouses, where the management of outdoor conditions are more controllable.

Growing morron
For cultivation, an average ambient temperature of 20 ° C is essential, without many changes in temperature and with a humidity rate that is not too high. It needs a lot of light, especially during the first growth period after germination.

It can be grown on any type of soil with moisture. The perfect soil is one that has good drainage, with the presence of sands and organic matter. All these requirements make them grown in greenhouses, where the management of outdoor conditions are more controllable.

There are many varieties of peppers and they are divided into sweet and spicy. In Spain there are four the best known. The pepper is the largest and thick meat. It is red, sweet and fresh, canned or dried.

6. VEGETABLE MATERIAL

Main criteria of choice:

Characteristics of commercial varieties: vigor of the plant, characteristics of the fruit, resistance to diseases.
Destination market.
Greenhouse structure.
Floor.
Weather.
Irrigation water quality.
Three varietal groups in pepper can be considered:

Sweet varieties: are those that are grown in greenhouses. They have large fruits for fresh consumption and the canning industry.
Varieties of spicy flavor: very cultivated in South America, tend to be varieties of long and thin fruit.
Varieties for obtaining paprika: they are a subgroup of sweet varieties.
Within the varieties of sweet fruit can be distinguished three types of pepper:

California type: short fruits (7-10 cm), broad (6-9 cm), with three or four sharply marked hulls, with the calyx and base of the peduncle below or at the shoulders and with more or less thick flesh (3-7mm). They are the most demanding cultivars in temperature, so the planting is done early (from mid-May to early August, depending on the climate of the area), to extend the production cycle and avoid settling problems with the excessive reduction of the night temperatures.

Lamuyo type: named in honor of the variety obtained by the French INRA, with long and square fruits of thick meat. The cultivars belonging to this type tend to be more vigorous (of greater size and longer internodes) and less sensitive to the cold than those of the California type, reason why it is common to cultivate them in later cycles.

Tipo Italiano: frutos alargados, estrechos, acabados en punta, de carne fina, más tolerantes al frío, que se cultivan normalmente en ciclo único, con plantación tardía en septiembre u octubre y recolección entre diciembre y mayo, dando producciones de 6-7 kg.m-2.

For intensive crops, especially greenhouses, F1 hybrids are used for their greater precocity, production, homogeneity and resistance to diseases.

7. PARTICULARITIES OF CULTIVATION

7.1. Plantation frames

The plantation framework is established according to the size of the plant, which in turn will depend on the commercial variety grown. The most frequently used in greenhouses is 1 meter between lines and 0.5 meters between plants, although when it comes to plants of average size and according to the type of pruning, it is possible to increase the density of plantation to 2.5 -3 plants per square meter. It is also common to have paired crop lines, 0.80 meters apart, and to leave aisles of 1.2 meters between each pair of lines in order to favor the performance of cultural work, avoiding undesirable damage to the crop.
In greenhouse cultivation the density of plantation is usually from 20,000 to 25,000 plants / ha. Outdoors, it usually reaches up to 60,000 plants / ha.

7.2. Training pruning

It is a frequent and useful cultural practice that improves the conditions of cultivation in the greenhouse and as a consequence the obtaining of productions of a higher commercial quality. As with pruning, plants are obtained balanced, vigorous and aerated, so that the fruits are not hidden among the foliage, while protected by sunstroke.
The number of stems with which the plant will develop (normally 2 or 3) is delimited. In the necessary cases, the leaves and buds that develop under the "cross" will be cleaned.
Training pruning is more necessary for early pepper varieties, which produce more stems than late varieties.

7.3. Aporcado

Practice that consists of covering with earth or sand part of the trunk of the plant to reinforce his base and favor the development radicular. In sanded lands, the maximum possible time should be delayed to avoid the risk of burns due to overheating of the sand.

7.4. Tutorado

It is an essential practice to keep the plant upright, since the stems of the pepper are split very easily.
The greenhouse plants are more tender and reach a greater height, therefore tutors are employed to facilitate the cultivation work and increase ventilation.