Although pepper is not quantitatively a major crop – exportable world production totalling only some 132 000 tonnes annually, valued at US $162 million – it is a very important constituent of the normal diet in many parts of the world. This article reviews the factors affecting the growth of the crop and the problems of maintaining a balance between supply and demand. It argues that a major obstacle to stabilizing the industry is the lack of a satisfactory control measure for the devastating footrot disease.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
‘Pepper’ Commodity review and outlook 1984–1985, FAO, Economic and Social Dev. Series no. 36, FAO, Rome1983.
2.
“Pepper’. Pepper Report, Dec. 1985. Publ. MAN production, Rotterdam.
3.
MaistreJ. “Les plantes à épices’. Maisonneuve et Larose, Paris, 1964.
4.
PursegloveJ. W. “Spices’, Vol. 1, p. 10–100. Longman, London, 1981.
5.
Hassan IljasB.Some notes on the floral biology in black pepper (Piper nigrum I.) Pemberitaan Balai Besar Penjelidikan Pertanian157, 1960.
6.
MartinF. W., and GregoryL. E.Puerto Rico. Crop Science, 5, 295, 1962.
7.
De WaardP. W. F.Foliar diagnosis, nutrition and yield stability of black pepper (Piper nigrum L) in Sarawak. Comm. 58, 1969: Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam.
8.
VenkitesanT. S., and SettyK. G. H.J. Plant. Crops, 6, 81, 1978.
9.
de AlbuquerqueF. C. and Pinheiro CondurùJ. M.Cultura da pimenta-do-reino -oRegiao amazonica. Bull. Instituto de pesquisa agropecuaria do norte.
10.
De WaardP. W. F.Problem areas and prospects of production of pepper (Pepper nigrum L). An overview. Bull. 308, Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam. 1980.
11.
‘Pepper’. Annual Report of the Research Branch Department of Agriculture: 1962–1983. Min. of Agric. and Forestry, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
12.
De WaardP. W. F.The effects of alkaline compounds on the growth of pepper cuttings (Piper nigrum L). Bulletin 298, Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam. 1975.
13.
BlacklockJ. S.Trop. Agric. Trin., 31, 40, 1954.
14.
De WaardP. W. F.World Crops, 16, 3, 24, 1964.
15.
BregmanA.De pepercultuur en handel op Bangka. Med. Dienst van de Landbouw21, Bogor, 1940.
16.
Pepper. Sistemas de producão para pimenta-do-reino. Circular no. 69. 1975. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria.
17.
Krishna MenonK.Indian J. Agric. Science, 19, 89, 1946.
18.
MarinetJ.La culture du poivre dans l'Inde L'agronomie Tropicale8, 5, 501, 1953.
19.
“Pepper’. Proceedings of the national seminar on pepper. Dec. 1977. Proceedings Series III. Edited: Central Plantation Crops Research Institute Kasaragod 670–124 Kerala.
20.
van HallC. J. J., and KoppelC.van der De landbouw in de Indische archipel (Agriculture in the Indonesian archipelago). Vol IIB: Spices Publ. Van Hoeve, The Hague, 1949.
21.
CarréJ., Le poivrier, 1956. Service Agricole. Tananarive, Government Printer.
22.
KalshovenL. G. E. In ‘Pests of Crops in Indonesia’. Ed. van der LaanP. A., RothchildG. L. E., IchtiarP. T.BARU-VAN HOEVEJ. L.Majapahit6, Jakarta, Indonesia. 1981.
23.
KuehTiong Kheng. Pests, diseases and disorders of black pepper in Sarawak. 1979Dep. of Agric. Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
24.
HollidayP., and MowatW. P.Footrot of Piper nigrum L (Phytophthora palmivora) Phytopathological papers no. 5, 1963. Commonwealth Mysologicol Institute Kew, Surrey, England.
25.
MullerH. R.A. Phytophthora footrot of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) in the Netherlands Indies. Mededelingen Instituut voor Plantenziekten no. 88, 1936.
26.
KasimR., and PrayitnoS.Factors influencing growth and sporulation of Phytophthora capcici from Piper nigrum L. Pemberitaan L.P.T.I. no. 34, 1979: 41.
27.
Peixoto de OliveiraD., and PereiraJ. L.Importancia patologica relativa de Fusarium e Phytophthora na cultura Revista, Theobroma13, 3, 1983: 175.
28.
SarmaY. R., and NambiarK. K. N.Footrot disease of black pepper. (Piper nigrum L). Proceedings workshop Phytophthora disease of tropical cultivated plants1980: 209. Central Plantation Crops Research Institute Kasaragod, Kerala, India.
TsaoP. H.Morphology and identity of black pepper Phytophthora isolates in Indonesia. FAO Plant Protection Bulletin (FAO)33, 2, 61, 1985.
31.
GarnerR. J., and BeakbaneA. B.Exp. Agric, 4, 187, 1968.
32.
De WaardP. W. F., and ZevenA. C.Pepper. In: “Outlines of Perennial Crops Breeding in the Tropics.’ Ed. FerwerdaF. P., and WitF.H. Veenman en Zonen N. V. Wageningen, 1969.
33.
De WaardP. W. F., and ZaubinR.Callus formation during grafting of woody plants. A concept for the case of black pepper (Piper nigrum L). Abstracts on Trop. Agric. 9, 10, 1983: 10.
34.
AlbuquerqueF. C.de Podridâo das raizes e do péda pimenta-do-reino. Cire, do Inst. Agron. do norte 5, 1961. Belèm Parà, Brazil.
