fertilizer. Black plastic with a painted white strip down the middle may be used during early

fall plantings. The white reflects the sun, creating cooler surface temperatures and reducing the

incidence of plant burning when portions of the plant come in contact with the plastic.

 It is important to maintain water approximately 15 to 18 inches below the soil surface

 to ensure seepage into the root zone and sustain moisture. By maintaining a moist environment,

 a nutritional concentration gradient exists. This allows the banded nitrogen (N) and potassium

 (K) to diffuse into the soil and replace those nutrients already incorporated into the soil. Plastic

 is extremely important in sustaining the moisture, otherwise the nutrients can be lost to leaching

 by natural rain or the soil may dry out and result in evaporative loss of soil moisture (Geraldson,

 et al., 1965). Seepage irrigation can be an effective tool to limit root growth to the treated soil

 in the bed area. By raising the water table, the growth of the root is restricted to the bed region.

 Mulched production of peppers using the drip system is similar to full-bed mulch with

seep irrigation with the exception that water requirements are met by the use of drip irrigation.

Drip irrigation can be supplied either by tubes or drip tape which should be placed

approximately two to three inches below the soil surface prior to the application of plastic to

protect against damage incurred from mice and insects. Initial fertilizer application should be

comprised of all micronutrients and phosphorous (P) with 20 to 40 percent of total nitrogen (N)

and potassium (K) requirements. Additional N and K can be injected into the system during the

growth of the plant.

 Pepper plants can be established either by transplants or direct seeding. Transplants can

be grown in a greenhouse nursery or in the field using fungicide treated seeds planted in

fumigated areas. The transplants then may be placed in the field by machine (Hochmuth,