Kenya Seed Company has launched a disease-resistant bell pepper variety through its technological invention. The company says the new plant has several benefits to the farmers. For instance, it says that it matures faster and can earn a farmer about Sh1.3 million per acre.
According to the company agronomist Peter Francombe, the variety is resistant to common diseases like purple blotch, downy mildew, anthocyanin and tobacco mosaic. It requires well-drained loamy soil with a pH value range of 5.6 to 6.0. It does well in semi-arid areas too with contact irrigation during the early stages.
The company also says that the new variety has done well both in greenhouses and open fields. When ripe, it can either be green, red and yellow.
The seed company urges farmers to plant the crop in drilled rows spaced 15cm and cover the seeds thinly with soil. Transplanting should be done at the age of four to six weeks. This is to achieve a healthy seedling transplanting use of a 60cm by 40cm spacing. Seedlings take a maximum of 21 days to germinate. Thinning or pricking out should be done to a final seedling spacing of 5cm to allow for growth of healthy seedlings
Three hours after transplanting, regular irrigation is required. The farmer is supposed to water the seedlings at intervals as over-irrigation can lead to low production.
For better yields, farmers are advised to apply about 40kg of can fertilizer per acre and after two weeks double the amount. Frequent trimming, irrigation and weeding should be done for proper growth.
Luckily the company has done some field study and farmers have reported that it is ready for harvest within 75 days. Each tree can carry a minimum of 12 bells thus a farmer can harvest about 130,000 pieces per acre.
Currently, one bell pepper can go for about Sh10 to Sh15 depending on the size, this shows a farmer can earn about Sh1.3 million per acre in one season.
