In 1998, with a USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
(SARE) grant, researchers began
studying crops and non-traditional crop rotation systems that are productive
and profitable for area growers.
Chile peppers fit this scenario nicely.
“Chile peppers are very well adapted to the High Plains of Texas. We
have a very fertile soil. We have high
quality water, and the ability to irrigate frequently,” said Dr. Roland
Roberts, Texas A&M Extension
horticulturist. “We also have high levels of sunlight.
“This high light intensity is what is required to build quality into the chile pod.”
So far, farmers like what they see and produce with this crop.
Lynn County producer Glen Brosch started raising jalapeno peppers in
1993. In recent years, he has added chile
and other peppers to his regular rotation of cash crops such as cotton
and grain sorghum. Brosch is just one of
several South Plains farmers who work with Roberts and Dr. David Bender,
Texas Agricultural Experiment
Station vegetable researcher, in testing chiles as a viable rotation
crop.
“I’ve been growing peppers here on the South Plains since about 1993.
It’s proven a good rotational crop for
us,” Brosch said. “Many of the herbicides and pesticides we use to
grow cotton are also compatible with chile
pepper production.
“We plant chiles in the spring...using either small transplants that
are raised right here on the farm, or in a
greenhouse; or through direct seeding. We plant peppers in wide plots,
on irrigated ground, and separate the
plots with windbreaks. We use tall, headless forage sorghums as our
windbreak crop.”
Brosch manages his chile crop much like his other grain or fiber crops.
Regular field scouting tells him when to
irrigate, fertilize or apply a spray to combat insects or plant disease.
He uses a combination of methods to harvest his pepper crop. Farm workers
provide seasonal labor for hand-
picking, and they also operate a mechanical picker. Brosh is able to
harvest some peppers, such as jalapenos,
using a slightly modified cotton stripper.
Brosch markets most of his pepper crop through direct contracts
with buyers. This year, however, he and other
area growers are trying a new method.
“We built our own chile roaster, so we can sell direct to the public.
We take the roaster to area festivals, and we
roast the chiles and sell them direct to consumers,” he said. “They
can buy as much, or as little, as they want
and take the peppers home in plastic bags. Then they can cook with
the peppers right away or put them in the
freezer for later use.”
There is a great deal of demand for chiles on the South Plains and in the Southwest, Roberts noted.
“As these growers steadily develop their markets, through buyer contracts
and direct marketing, they stand to
realize a great deal more income than might otherwise be possible from
traditional crops such as wheat, grain
sorghum or soybeans,” Roberts said.
Chile and other peppers are more management- and input-intensive than
other crops -- especially at harvest.
Even so, it is not unusual for a skilled grower to realize as much
as $2,500 per acre in gross income from this
rotation crop.
After several years of work with this crop, researchers are optimistic
about the future of chile peppers on the
South Plains.
“The yields have been good. In our annual test plots, we have generally
exceeded average yields commonly
reported in other chile-producing regions in the Southwest,” Bender
noted. “Part of this is due to the crops’
resistance to plant diseases common on the South Plains, and the fact
that chiles are a relatively new crop.
“Plant diseases found in other chile-producing regions simply haven’t
had time to build up and become a
problem on the South Plains. With wise rotation, we hope to keep it
that way.”
He said grower reaction to chile peppers has been very favorable.
“They are interested in anything (crops) that will work well with their
present cotton and grain production
systems, and potentially return a profit. They’ve really accepted this
crop very well.”
Researchers and Extension specialists at Texas A&M’s Lubbock center
plan to continue their work with South
Plains chile growers. Their goal is to develop chile peppers as a viable,
profitable, long-term rotation crop that
compliments other crops and cropping systems.