Peppers
Relevant Event
2024 Dry Bean Growers Twilight Meeting
September 24, 2024
Stafford, NY
Growing for Wholesale: Grading and Packing Guidelines by Crop
Grading and packing guidelines are now available for 18 commonly grown specialty crops in NYS: romaine lettuce, acorn squash, broccoli crowns, Brussels sprouts, sweet corn, green peppers, cucumbers, green cabbage, red cabbage, savoy cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, jalapenos, poblanos, Hungarian hot peppers, summer squash, and zucchini.
Be on the Lookout for Southern Blight
Ethan Grundberg, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Southern Blight (Sclerotium rolfsii) was found on golden storage beets this winter in Dutchess County. The fungal pathogen is fairly new to New York and poses a threat to a wide range of vegetable crops. Early detection and proper diagnosis are key to managing this disease.
Video: New York State Produce Auctions
Currently, there are 8 produce auctions in New York State. These auctions are aggregation points that allow local farmers to sell their produce in wholesale lots to buyers from across the region. To document the economic impact of produce auctions on agriculture, local businesses, family farms, and produce buyers, the Cornell Vegetable Program worked with Harvest New York to survey top sellers and buyers.
A new Cornell Vegetable Program video shares general information about produce auctions, how buyers and sellers use the auctions to expand their businesses, and how local communities benefit from them.
Growing for Wholesale: Vegetable Grading/Sizing Templates
Robert Hadad, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
To further assist farmers looking to sell into the wholesale markets, the Cornell Vegetable Program has put together some helpful tools. The tools provided here consist of a color photo guide highlighting the grades of some of the most common vegetables grown for wholesale market in WNY. To aid in the visualization of the grading sizes, the templates are available here for you to print off. These are scaled to size and can be used to create sizing templates to be used by workers on the wash and pack lines.
Video: Flea Beetles
Flea beetles are a common vegetable pest affecting peppers, cucurbits, sweet potato, potato, peas, beans, beets, tomato, corn, turnip, pumpkin, melon, eggplant, and others. This short video gives you some general information about this pest.
Cold Storage Chart and Reference Guide to Commercial Vegetable Storage
Robert Hadad, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
Commercial vegetable growers will find a Cold Storage Chart by crop type with temperature and relative humidity recommendations. The maximum number of weeks that the crop can be held under ideal conditions is provided as well.
Adapted from the USDA Bulletin #66, The Commercial Storage of Fruits, Vegetables, and Florist and Nursery Stock, growers will find information on quality, grading, sizes, and packaging, chilling and storage, and post-harvest pathology of vegetables.
Video: Produce Washing Stations - How to Use a Germicidal Bleach
Good Agricultural Practices or GAPs are the steps taken in produce packing areas to reduce microbial contamination. One area where reducing micro contamination is critical is in the washing and cleaning of produce. This video shows you a set of standard operating procedures for using a germicidal bleach in a produce washing station. Learn what supplies are required and how to calculate the amount of germicidal bleach needed to sanitize the water.
Guideline Tools: Weed Management in Peppers, 2015
Darcy Telenko, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
This reference sheet lists the herbicides that are labeled for peppers in New York and which species are controlled, as well as other important considerations and photos of weeds. While this is a handy references, it is critical to read the product labels thoroughly.
Video: Farm Food Safety as if Someone's Life Depended On It
Robert Hadad, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
This video is an overview of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) through on-farm risk assessment. Cornell Cooperative Extension, along with the National GAPs Program and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, has developed and implemented a nationally-recognized training program in GAPs to prepare New York growers for the marketplace's increased vigilance in food safety. You can learn more about that program through this video, as well as updates on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), and economic information on the implementation of GAPs collected from growers through extensive interviews.
High Tunnel Pepper Variety Trial, 2011
Judson Reid, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
Peppers offer a viable option to tomatoes for commercial production in high tunnel greenhouses. In 2011 the Cornell Vegetable Program partnered with Harris Seed, Inc. to evaluate five varieties in a cooperating grower unheated high tunnel.
The peppers evaluated in 2011 performed very similar in total yield per plant as measured by pounds. When we look at fruit size and weight we do find differences that can help growers make choices in variety. When selling by the piece, in a retail setting, varieties such as Yellow Crest would work well. For wholesale accounts varieties such as Gordo will fill bushel boxes faster. Sandpiper, a slightly smaller fruit than the other bell peppers is this trial, gave very good yields and offers a nice color spectrum. High tunnels are a great tool for vegetable growers to increase quality and color of bell peppers. Total economic performance per square foot is much less than tomatoes. However, labor inputs are also lower. Although not a perfect rotational crop with tomatoes, peppers are not a host for Fulvia Leaf Mold, and are less likely to harbor Two Spotted Spider Mites. We encourage growers to consider peppers in high tunnels for increased quality and yield.
Upcoming Events
2024 Dry Bean Growers Twilight Meeting
September 24, 2024
Stafford, NY
Get updated! At this on-farm meeting, hear updates in Western bean cutworm monitoring and management, white mold management, weeds and herbicides, and insights from the dry bean variety trial. 1.5 DEC credits will be available in categories 1a, 10, 21, and 23.