Vegetable Crops

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Vegetable Crops PLSC 451/551Lesson 17, Pepper,
Eggplant

• Instructor
• Stephen L. Love
• Aberdeen R E Center
• 1693 S 2700 W
• Aberdeen, ID 83210
• Phone [phone] Fax [phone]
• Email slove_at_uidaho.edu

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Pepper

• Daniel Pinkwater
• It doesnt matter who you are, or what youve
  done, or think you can do. Theres a
  confrontation with destiny awaiting you.
  Somewhere, there is a chili you cannot eat.

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Pepper

• Consumer use
• Pungency
• Due to a single compound capsaicin
• Present in the septa and placenta
• Controlled by a single gene
• Detectable at 1 ppm
• Paprika flavor due to the compound capsanthin

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Pepper

• Consumer use
• Pungency
• Varies widely among types and varieties
• Measured using Scoville units
• Bell 0 units
• Ancho 1,000 units
• Jalapenos 5,000 units
• Yellow wax 10,000 units
• Tabasco 160,000 units
• Habaneros 200,000 units

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Caribbean Red Habanero, rated 400,000 on the
Scoville scale
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Pepper

• Species used for food
• Capsicum annuum
• Origin Columbia, Central America, SW N.
  America
• Worldwide production
• Includes most of the common sweet and hot
  peppers Bell
• Jalapeno
• Wax
• Cayenne
• Serrano

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Pepper

• Species used for food
• Capsicum frutescens
• Origin Amazon, related to C. chinense
• Grown in China and tropical America
• Considered to be semi-domesticated
• Includes Tabasco, Thai, and malagueta peppers

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Pepper

• Species used for food
• Capsicum chinense
• Origin - Amazon
• Includes the most pungent of all peppers
• Habanero
• Naga
• Datil
• (includes naga varieties of over 1,000,000
  Scoville units)

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Pepper

• Species used for food
• Capsicum baccatum
• Origin Bolivia
• Unique fruity flavor
• Includes aji (Peruvian puff) peppers
• Use limited to South America

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Pepper

• Species used for food
• Capsicum pubescens
• Origin - Central America and Andes
• Use limited to areas of origin
• The goat chili, adapted to cool highland
  climates

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Pepper types and varieties
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Pepper

• Use and importance
• The predominant worldwide spice crop
• Emerged as a replacement for expensive black
  pepper
• Produced and consumed throughout the world
• Largest production is in Asia and Africa
• Important source of vitamin A, vitamin C and many
  minerals

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Worldwide pepper production
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Pepper drying in Korea
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Pepper

• Consumer use
• Spices
• Paprika dried and ground non-pungent peppers
• Chili powder dried and ground pungent peppers
  mixed with oregano, cumin, garlic
• Curry dried and ground pungent peppers mixed
  with turmeric, cumin, coriander

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Pepper

• Production Systems/Market Opportunities
• Produced worldwide in subsistence and market
  garden systems
• Excellent subject for local market sales, organic
  production
• Modern intensive production common in the warmest
  temperate and dry sub-tropical climate in both
  the northern and southern hemisphere
• Fresh markets, contract for processing, spices

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Pepper morphology
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Pepper

• Taxonomy
• Dicotyledon
• Family Solanaceae
• Genus and species Capsicum annuum
• Related species tomato, potato, nightshade

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Pepper

• Domestication
• Endemic to tropical and subtropical America
• Evidence in Mexico earlier than 5000 BC
• Spread throughout the world by Spanish and
  Portuguese traders

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Pepper

• Fruit set
• Temperature sensitive
• Pollen death and abscission gt90 or lt60
• Optimum set at 70-80
• Drought stress causes flower drop
• Long-term temps higher than 95 cause abnormal
  fruit growth

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Pepper

• Production Problems
• Subject to many of the diseases and insect
  problems common to tomatoes
• Pest problems do not tend to limit production in
  warm climates

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Pepper

• Harvest
• Harvest Indices
• Green Harvest (salad or green-processed use)
• Desired size, lack of color change, waxy surface
• Mature harvest (dried and/or ground use)
• Fully developed color (yellow, orange, or red)
• Attached pedicel
• Firmness retained for processed
• Partially desiccated for dehydration

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Why did the tomato blush?
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Why did the tomato blush? It saw the salad
dressing.
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Eggplant (Brinjal)

• Taxonomy
• Dicotyledon
• Family Solanaceae
• Genus and species Solanum melongena
• Related species potato, tomato, pepper,
  nightshade

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Eggplant

• Botany
• Short-lived perennial, grown as an annual
• Bush-type growth 2-8 feet in height
• Fruit are round, pear-shaped, or elongated
• Fruit is a berry without a cavity
• Internal texture is due to spongy placental
  tissue
• Wild type fruits are bitter and spiny

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Eggplant
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Eggplant
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Eggplant

• Origin and Domestication
• Native to India
• Center of diversity in Bangladesh and Myanmar
• Spread to China by 500 BC
• Taken to Africa and Spain by Arabic traders

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Eggplant

• Importance and use
• Predominantly a product of subsistence and market
  garden agriculture
• A staple crop in many tropical Asian countries

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Eggplant

• Importance and use
• Largely used as a fresh market vegetable
• Seldom processed or eaten raw
• Prepared boiled, baked, fried, and stuffed
• Few calories but important source of protein,
  vitamin A, minerals

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Eggplant

• Varieties
• Many types
• Oval or round, dark purple - most common
• Black Beauty, Florida Market, Classic
• Other countries produce white, yellow, brown,
  and green types with round, oval, pear-shaped,
  and long shapes
• China produces decorative types with scarlet fruit

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Eggplant

• Range of types

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Eggplant

• Harvest and Storage
• Edible when 1/3 to fully grown
• Best quality when about 1/2 to 2/3 full size
• Thumb-press test
• Retention of glossy surface
• Hand harvested
• Continuous harvest necessary to maintain
  production

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Pepino fruit
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Other Solanaceous Fruits

• Pepino
• Species Solanum muricatum
• Perennial from Ecuador and Peru
• Bear for several years once established
• Immature fruit are cooked
• Mature fruit are eaten raw as a dessert (sweet,
  with a cucumber flavor)
• Market garden production on South America
• Ethnic markets in Australia, New Zealand, US

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Tamarillo fruit
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Other Solanaceous Fruits

• Tamarillo (tree tomato)
• Species Cyphomandra betacea
• Native of Peru (Andes)
• Perennial shrub up to 15 feet tall
• Usually cultured for 5-6 years, then replaced
• Acidic, tomato-like flavor
• Usually stewed or juiced, can be eaten raw
• Export production in New Zealand, Portugal
  market garden and subsistence elsewhere

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Tomatillo fruit
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Other Solanaceous Fruits

• Tomatillo (husk tomato)
• Species Physalis philadelphica
• Mexican origin
• Annual plants up to 3 feet tall
• Fruit becomes less acid and sweeter at maturity
• Macerated immature fruit are used for sauces
  (salsa verde) and other purposes
• Market garden in Latin America, widely grown in
  Europe

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Naranjilla
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Other Solanaceous Fruits

• Naranjilla (Lulo)
• Species Solanum quitoense
• Native of Ecuador and southern Columbia
• Perennial semi-shrub 3-6 feet tall, grows best in
  shade
• Acidic, whitish-green flesh, flavored like
  orange, pineapple, and tomato
• Popular for juices, preserves, and desserts
• Local production in Central and South America

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Cape gooseberry
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Other Solanaceous Fruits

• Cape Gooseberry
• Species Physalis peruviana
• Native of the Andean region (named after imported
  into South Africa)
• Perennial bush, 3 feet tall (tetraploid)
• Eaten raw or in preserves and sauces
• Subsistence and market production, being accepted
  on a worldwide scale

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Turkeyberry
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Other Solanaceous Fruits

• Turkeyberry
• Species Solanum torvum (noxious weed in US)
• South and North American origin
• Perennial tree or shrub
• Immature fruit used as cooked vegetable
• Common in Thai and Lao cuisine
• Small-scale market garden production

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Jilo fruit
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Other Solanaceous Fruits

• Jilo (Garden Egg, Scarlet Eggplant)
• Species Solanum gilo
• Native to central Africa
• Brought to South America with slave trade
• Bitter, immature fruit are used for seasoning
• Market garden production in Brazil, used little
  in place of origin

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African eggplant
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Other Solanaceous Fruits

• African Eggplant
• Species Solanum macrocarpon
• Native of West Africa
• Berries like small eggplants in appearance and
  use
• Subsistence and market garden production mostly
  in Indonesia and Suriname