Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.)
- For fresh use, chilli can be harvested either at the green immature or mature red stage.
- It takes about 55-60 days after flowering for fruits to fully ripen, depending on temperature, soil fertility, and cultivar.
- Warmer temperatures will hasten ripening, and cooler temperatures will delay ripening.
- If conditions are favourable, chilli production can continue for several months. Fruits can be harvested weekly.
- On an average 20-30 tonnes of chilli fruits can be harvested from one hectare of crop.
- Fresh chilli fruits should not be washed unless they will be kept cool (10°C) until sold. Fruits should be stored in a cool, shaded, dry place until they are sold. At typical tropical ambient temperature and humidity (28°C and 60% RH), fruits will last unspoiled for 1-2 weeks. Anthracnose is the major cause of fresh fruit spoilage.
- For dry chilli, it's important to preserve the red color of the mature fruits. Drying them in the sun is a common practice, but this tends to bleach the fruits, and rainfall and dew promote fruit rot. Solar dryers have been develop
