Jeonnam Province on High Alert for Vegetable Growth Management Amid Heatwave with Irrigation and Shade Facilities

Minimizing Yield Loss During Chili Pepper Harvest:
Focus on Anthracnose Control and Pest Management
Blocking Direct Sunlight and Ensuring Adequate Water Supply

Installation of irrigation in the chili pepper field to prepare for the heatwave. Provided by Jeonnam Province

Jeonnam Province has urged thorough management of crop growth, such as installing irrigation and shade facilities for open-field vegetables like chili peppers and ginseng, as heavy rains have been followed by a prolonged heatwave. These measures are necessary because high temperatures during the summer can cause poor growth conditions or outbreaks of pests and diseases.

For chili peppers, it is important to minimize yield loss by controlling pests and diseases during the harvest period and by managing plant vigor.

This is because the fruit may suffer from sunscald (damage caused by sunlight), or symptoms of calcium deficiency may appear, such as discoloration and softening at the tip of the fruit due to poor calcium absorption.

Chili peppers should be harvested promptly, and management should ensure that flowers and fruits continue to set well. For chili pepper fields with poor growth, spraying 0.2% urea solution or type 4 compound fertilizer two to three times at intervals of five to seven days can help restore plant vigor.

After the rainy season, sudden exposure to strong sunlight can cause plants to wilt rapidly and reduce yields. In particular, hot and humid weather increases the risk of anthracnose, so it is also important to focus on pest and disease control.

Ginseng is a crop that prefers cool climates, with optimal growth temperatures around 20°C. However, during the hot summer, temperatures inside ginseng shade facilities can rise, increasing the risk of heat damage.

To reduce heat damage, it is necessary to reinforce shading materials in the shade facilities to block direct sunlight from entering, and to supply water every five to seven days according to soil moisture levels. This helps prevent rapid loss of moisture from the ginseng plants.

Yu Deokgyu, head of the Food and Horticulture Division of Jeonnam Province, stated, "Crop growth management during the summer is more important than ever due to heatwaves and heavy rains," and urged farmers to "regularly check weather conditions via TV or radio and thoroughly manage crops in advance."

Jeonnam Province is implementing nine projects to prevent heatwave damage to open-field vegetables and ginseng, including support for disaster prevention facilities in the horticultural sector. The province is investing 213.7 billion won to provide micro-sprinkler systems, irrigation facilities, and shading and heat-blocking materials.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.