Harvest and Post Harvest Operations The farmer should make all marketing arrangements with buyers before harvest in order to determine prices for the variety grown, delivery dates and schedules, kinds of packaging and where to deliver the pepper. The buyer should inform the farmer what kinds of pepper are required in terms of stage of maturity and colour.
Peppers sold directly to processors can be picked fully ripe (red or yellow) without the fruit stalk. Whereas, pepper for export is usually picked fully developed but still green or slightly turning. The petiole or fruit stalk is left intact on the fruit.
Flowering in hot pepper generally begins at about 7 weeks after transplanting, with fruit development a further 6 - 7 weeks later. The first flush of mature berries can be harvested about 3½ months after transplanting. Thereafter, regular pickings can be carried out over a period of 8 months or longer given good management of pests and diseases, good weather and high level general crop management. Weekly or fortnightly pickings are usually carried out. Harvesting should cease when yields and berry quality significantly drop.
Fruit production is not constant since the hot pepper plant goes through a series of flowering flushes about once every 3 weeks. Rainfall (soil moisture availability), disease and pest pressure, weed pressure and soil nutrient status are all important contributing factors to flowering and fruiting. Of course, the genetic potential of the variety plays a major role.
Fully developed and mature berries are picked and placed in approved, well-ventilated field containers which should not bruise the fruits. The harvested fruits should be taken from the field and placed in a cool shaded area to lose field heat immediately after harvest. The ideal cooling area is fitted with fans that force cool air through the peppers. Harvesting should be done in dry weather. Wet hot pepper berries rot a lot faster than dry ones.
Good management of harvest should also ensure the following:
• harvesters should wash hands with soap and water and wear sanitary gloves
•containers cleaned and washed with soap, water and bleach; crates preferably made of firm plastic or wood and with good ventilation.
• careful picking by workers to prevent the breaking of branches especially in fields with a high plant population density.
•separate picking and removal from the field of diseased, damaged, deformed or over-ripe berries.
Picking the hot pepper berry from the plant is achieved by grasping the fruit stalk (or petiole) at the point of the abscission layer where it is joined to the plant, between the thumb and forefinger and pulling upwards. The petiole will break off at its base when the berry is mature. The art of picking is mastered after some practice. This way of picking will prevent breakage of the petiole leaving them whole and undamaged as required by the export market.
Harvested fruits should be placed in firm, noncollapsible crates that can be stacked without placing pressure on the berries. Do not use collapsible containers such as onion bags. Fruits must be delivered to the pack-house as soon as possible after harvest.
