Charles A. Mullins and A. Brent Smith

All pepper cultivars produced nice fruit. Plant type and pod appearance was very similar for all cultivars. ‘Peninsula’ and ‘Paladin’ were among cultivars that produced the highest yield of blocky fruit. ‘Key West’ produced the highest yield of long fruit. Fruit weight of blocky fruit was not different due to cultivar.

Bell peppers for fresh market are grown across Tennessee, but not in large acreages. Processing pepper is not produced in the state at present. Bell pepper cultivars have improved considerably in recent years. Cultivars with larger four lobed fruit and with resistance to diseases have been developed. The potential for increased bell pepper production in Tennessee appears to be favorable. An experiment was conducted at the Plateau Experiment Station at Crossville, TN in 2001 to evaluate performance of 17 bell pepper cultivars. Many of the cultivars are reported to have resistance to bacterial leaf spot or to phytophthora. Both of these disease can be devastating to pepper production in Tennessee.

The site was prepared for planting by conventional tillage methods. Fertilizer was broadcast at 500 lb/A of 15-15-15, and incorporated with a disk on May 15. A bedder-plastic layer was used to make beds, lay 4 ft wide black plastic mulch and lay drip irrigation tape on May 16. Beds were on 6 ft centers. Clomazone (Command) at 0.5 lb ai/A was applied to the untreated row middles for week control on May 30. Greenhouse grown seedlings were field transplanted on June 5. Plot size was a double on the bed with rows and plants spaced 18 inches apart. Each row contained 10 plants. Experimental plot design was a randomized complete block with four replications. Acephate (Orthene) at 1.0 lb ai/A was applied on a 10 day schedule for insect control. Irrigation was applied by drip tape as needed.

Harvests were made on a 5 to 7 day frequency as the pepper matured. Pepper fruit were graded into block, long, or cull grade. Number and weight of fruit in each grade were recorded. All data were analyzed by analysis of variance methods, and means were separated by Duncan’s multiple range tests at the 0.05 level of probability.

‘Peninsula’ was among those cultivars that produced higher yields of blocky fruit (Table 1). Yields were lower than expected for the pepper cultivars. Some very cool nights occurred in the early summer, and scattered cases of Southern Blight, which probably resulted in the relatively low yields. ‘Key West’ produced more long fruit than any other cultivar. ‘Paladin’ and "Peninsula’ were among the cultivars that produced the most cull fruit. The average size for blocky fruit was not significantly different between cultivars.

Measurements were not taken, but the plant type of all cultivars was very similar. Likewise, fruit appearance was similar for all cultivars.

Table 1. Yields in tons per acre of blocky,, long, and cull fruit; average fruit weight of blocky and long fruit; and seed sources of pepper cultivars at The University of Tennessee Plateau Experiment Station at Crossville, 2001.

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This research represents one season's data and does not constitute recommendations.  After sufficient data is collected over the appropriate number of seasons, final recommendations will be made through research and extension publications.