Cishe njengo-anyanisi noma amazambane, o-pepper yintandokazi emakhishini aseMzansi. Ukutshala o-pepper kwenziwa cishe kuzo zonke izifundazwe kanti iLimpopo iyona ekhiqiza abaningi ezweni.
Igama langempela lo-pepper iCapsicum Annuum kanti isitshalo esidabuka eSouth America. Ukusetshenziswa kwawo emhlabeni wonke kwenzeka ngesikhati amakoloni ehamba edla amazwe kwagcina esesabalele e-Europe nase-Asia emva kweminyaka yama-1500s.
Ngesikhathi kwenziwa i2017 census of commercial agriculture iStats SA yathola ukuthi abalimi baseMzansi batshale o-pepper emhlabeni ocishe ube ngamahekthare awu-3000 ezweni lonke kanti bakhiqiza amathani awu-74 000. Lesi sibalo sesikhuphukile kule minyaka emihlanu edlule.
Sixoxe nabalima u-pepper uNksz Thandeka Maseko, uMnuz Eric Mauwane noNksz Tebogo Nyathela.
Uqalaphi?
UNksz Masego ( should this be Masego or is it meant to be Maseko?) umlimi waseMiddleburg, eMpumalanga, uthi kungcono abaqalayo ukutshala o-pepper bathenge imbewu yabo kubadayisi bayo abaziwayo. Uthi uma abalimi bezama ukuzenzela eyabo imbewu kungcono bathole inhlabathi enomanyolo wekhethelo edayisa ezitolo ezihlukene.
“Imvamisa kunzima ukuzikhulisela imbewu ikakhulukazi uma uqala. Into esiyenzayo siyathenga kubantu bezingadi. Ukuze ube nembewu, ungathenga isihlabathi esinomanyolo kanjalo nama-tray akho. Ungafaka amanethi phezu kwama-tray akho ukuze imbewu yakho ingaphazanyiswa umoya nelanga.”
Indawo ekulungele ukutshala kuyo
Lesi seluleko se-Agricultural Research Council (ARC) sithi lesi sitshalo esikhula endaweni eshisayo futhi esingakwazi ukubekezelela iqhwa. O-pepper bakhula esimeni sezulu esiphakathi nendawo esingaphezu kuka-12°C.
UNksz Masego uthi o-pepper abazwani nelanga. Kunezindlela ezihlukene abalimi abangagwema ngazo lokhu inqobo nje uma uzosivikela isitshalo ngendlela efanele.
“Uma uzotshala o-green pepper bakho ensimini, kunamakhemikhali awuvikela elangeni. Uma ungafuni ukulokhu uhlushwa ilanga, ungawakhulisela kwi-tunnel noma kuma-greenhouse. Kodwa uma uthenga amakhemikhali azoqinisa izitshalo zakhe, (qinisekisa ukuthi) azishiswa yilanga.”
Inhlabathi nomanyolo
Omunye umqulu ohlanganiswe yi-ARC uthi o-pepper badinga umhlabathi ojulile, ovundile futhi okwazi kahle ukukhipha amanzi ukuze bakhule. Uthi akufanele utshalwe lapho kuke kwatshalwa khona ummbila noma i-soya bean ngoba izinsalela zalezi zitshalo ziyabamosha o-pepper.
O-pepper bathatha isikhathi eside ukukhula uma umhlabathi ubanda. UMauwane ongumlimi nesikhulu esiphezulu se-ONEO Farms uthi enye yezindleko ezinkulu ngokutshala o-pepper wukuvundisa umhlabathi.
“Kufanele ube nohlelo oluhlelekile lokuvundisa umhlabathi kanti kuya nohlobo lomhlabathi otshala kulo, ungoti angakusiza akuhlanganisele uhlelo olufanele. Kuyahluka ipulazi ngepulazi. Yize kuhluka kodwa ukhona umanyolo ongasetshenziswa yiwo wonke umuntu,” kusho uMauwane.
Indawo yokuzikhangisa
UMauwane uthi baningi abantu abathenga o-pepper ikakhulukazi ebusika. Uthi abekho abantu okuyibo abangomakhonya embonini yo-pepper.
“Imboni yo-pepper yinhle phakathi kukaNovemba noDisemba kuphinde futhi phakathi kuka-Ephreli no-Agasti ngakho o-pepper bayathengwa kakhulu ebusika. Lokho kungenxa yokuthi iningi lethu lisuke lingakhiqizi lutho ngaleso sikhathi. Amanani mahle hhayi nje ebusika kuphela.”
Isidingo samanzi
UNksz Maseko uthi kubalulekile ukuthi abalimi abatshale o-pepper babe nohlelo oluhlelekile lokuchelela abalulandelayo.
“Awukwazi ukuchelela ngo-7 ekuseni uphinde ngo-11 ekuseni bese kusasa ushintsha isikhathi. Yiba nesikhathi esisodwa ukuze izitshalo zakho zizojwayela,” kusho uNksz Maseko.
“O-pepper abadingi amanzi amaningi ngale kwalokho kungahle kudale izinkinga ezinkulu. Ngonyaka odlule kwaba nemvula eningi ngoNovemba, uDisemba nangoJanuwari nokwakungakuhle nhlobo ko-pepper kodwa kungcono i-drip irrigation iyalekelela ukukala amanzi,” kusho uNksz Nyathela.
Amanzi athe xaxa avimba ukukhula kahle ko-pepper futhi angagcina eholele ekutheni impande yonakale uma izitshalo zibhajwe emanzini ngaphezu kwamahora awu-12.
FUNDA FUTHI: Yazi u-pepper obaba kunabo bobke emhlabeni
Bhalisela i-Farmer’s Inside Track: Joyina inkundla yethu ekhethekile yabasanda kungena emkhakheni wezolimo nebhizinisi lezolimo, ngezincwadi zezindaba namaphodikasti.
