Wall Pepper Farming?
Wall pepper farming is a new method of cultivating black pepper as a mono-crop in a compact area. Every crop in the plantation has its own characteristics in terms of its water needs, nutrient levels, shade patterns and requires different cultivation techniques.
Why Wall Pepper Farming?
Usually, pepper vines are planted to the shade trees which act as supporting standards and can grow up to 40 feet tall. As the vines grow taller, harvesting becomes difficult and also the quality of the peppercorn will be compromised as the farmers tend to harvest in one lot. To overcome these challenges, developed this method of growing pepper at a lesser height.
How Vertical Column Black Pepper Farming is different?
Column Method or vertical farming method can be applied if you are not having enough support trees to grow black pepper. Using these methods you can actually grow black pepper without a tree. Here we use PVC or Concrete wrapped with wire mesh instead of trees.
How to select Pepper Cuttings?
The upward growing apical tip also called “terminal shoot” is chosen for this method. Typically, the vines grow during the monsoon season and the tender tips harden during spring. We cut the top which has 5 to 8 nodes and then turn them into further cuttings with 1 to 2 nodes each and plant them in a growing bag. It is then raised as done in the regular pepper nursery pots in which the best-rooted plants are selected and transferred to the ground. Gliricidia sticks or poles can be used as supporting standards.
The Advantages of Wall Pepper Cultivation
Starts yielding from the first year of planting.
Low investment and High profit.
Gliricidia sepium tree sticks are used for growing black pepper.
Easy maintenance.
Harvesting can be done easily as they are of low height.
Pruning can be done when plants grow old and get crowded. It is successfully trialed out.
Best Black Pepper Variety
In terms of quality, Kottanadan has the highest oleoresin content followed by Aimpiriyan. Seventeen improved varieties of black pepper have been released for cultivation. Panniyur-1, Panniyur-3, and Panniyur-8 are hybrids evolved at the Pepper Research Station, Panniyur. Also, they considered the highest yielding black pepper varieties.
Also view: Vanilla Farming: Vertical Column Vanilla Cultivation
