Factors Influencing Performance of Capsicum under Protected Cultivation: A Review

Abstract

Vegetables as the succulent pot herb are the most vulnerable to vagaries of climate change i.e. extreme weather events, such as elevated temperature, lengthy droughts, untimely rains, heavy rainfalls, violent storms, sea rising and resurgence of biotic stresses such as weeds, pathogens and their vectors, and insect pests. Adjoining to this, shrinking of cultivable land, limited natural resources, lower productivity, higher inputs cost, shortage of man power, low market price, hesitation among youth to choose farming as career etc. endorse the adoption of protected cultivation as the ultimatum to all these troublesome. In recent days, protected or greenhouse cultivation of high value vegetables like capsicum especially during offseason has been witnessed in increasing trends among small and marginal farmers as it is high value and low volume crop and produce higher yield in manifolds with superior quality. Protected structure not only delimits the abiotic and biotic stresses in capsicum cultivation but also accounts for higher economic remuneration to growers and provide a boost to their socio-economic development through adoption of improved package of practice such as mulching, drip irrigation, fertigation, training and pruning, better plant protection management, etc. Though, protected cultivation is remunerative but high initial investment, lack of technical guidance, non-availability of genuine building material for protected structure, torrential flood, cyclone etc. are major constraints and setbacks prevailed in developing counties like India for its adoption and commercialization. Therefore, this review covers all the aspects of protected cultivation in Capsicum to find an amicable solution through improved technologies.