Pepper plants require fertilization when they are young, specifically when the seedlings are first moved to the land. The initial fertilization should be done by applying a mixture of 2-3 kg/plant of manure and 100-200 grams/plant of NPK compound fertilizer. This treatment should be repeated every year with the same dose.
It is important to note that supplementary fertilization should be carried out every year to maintain the productivity of pepper plants. Unfortunately, some pepper planters neglect this step, resulting in decreased productivity.
Farmers often use fertilizers that do not match the recommended dosage during supplementary fertilization, resulting in low pepper production. On average, pepper production is only 0.6 tonnes per hectare, falling short of the national production standard of 1-1.3 tonnes per hectare.
To maintain productivity, it is important to weed the area to avoid nutrient competition. Weeding should be done twice a year, once during the rainy season and once during the dry season. During the dry season, the leaves of pepper plants may turn yellow and fall off, but this condition can be mitigated by watering the plants twice a day.
Pepper plants typically begin to flower three years after being planted from seed. The first flower that emerges is usually removed to prevent the formation of secondary and tertiary branching. In the fourth year, flowers are retained as fruits, and harvesting is done once about 30-40% of the fruits on a single plant stalk have turned reddish.
The pepper plant population reached 2,500 plants per hectare with a spacing of 4 meters by 4 meters. In the first harvest, planters obtained 800-900 kilograms of fresh fruit. When dried, 1 kilogram of dried pepper is obtained from 5-6 kilograms of fresh pepper fruit.
