Recently, a "super chili" variety was successfully tested in Chengdu, with a spiciness 10 times that of millet chili. When picking, gloves need to be worn for protection. This chili pepper is generally not consumed directly and is mainly used for food additives, making tear gas, and coating the bottom of ships. On August 20th, the reporter conducted a field visit to see what this "super chili" really looks like.
10 times spicier than millet, gloves should be worn when picking
In the morning of that day, the reporter visited a trial planting base for "super chili" in Guancang Street, Jintang County, Chengdu. I saw red chili peppers densely growing on the tree, with no significant difference in appearance from ordinary millet chili peppers. When squatting down, I could clearly smell the smell of chili peppers.
Although it looks similar to chili pepper, its spiciness is much higher than that of chili pepper, "said Zheng Xiangen, the person in charge, picking a chili pepper and introducing it. This variety is an industrial chili pepper with a spiciness of 80000 to 120000 SHU (SHU is the abbreviation symbol for Scoville, the international unit of spiciness for chili pepper). Most fresh Chaotian chili peppers have a spiciness of 6000 to 9000 SHU. This spicy chili variety belongs to industrial chili and is generally used for deep processing, not for direct consumption, "said Zheng Xiangen.
This chili is currently the spiciest variety planted on a large scale in the Chengdu area, "he said. This batch of chili was planted in May this year, covering an area of 40-50 acres, and it seems to be growing well. It is expected to be harvested in September. This chili pepper is too spicy and requires gloves to be worn during manual picking. If the skin comes into contact for a long time, it will be stimulated and painful.
You can't just eat this spicy food. What's it for
This highly spicy chili is mainly used for extracting capsaicin, "said Li Liping, a senior agronomist at the Horticultural Research Institute of Chengdu Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences. Capsaicin can be used in the field of food processing to make various spicy foods, such as chili sauce, chili noodles, pickled peppers, etc. Its high spiciness and strong aroma can add unique flavors to food; In the field of industrial raw materials, due to its high color value and high oil content, it can be used as a natural pigment and oil extraction raw material for industrial production such as cosmetics and printing and dyeing; In the field of medicine and healthcare, some components in chili peppers have medicinal value, high spiciness and high oil content, which make them have certain potential applications in the field of medicine and healthcare. They can be used to develop related drugs and health products, such as being used as raw materials for drugs related to heart disease treatment; In addition, it can also be used to make non lethal weapons such as tear gas bombs and pepper spray, which can cause temporary stimulation and interference to enemy personnel by using its pungency.
Li Liping said that industrial chili peppers can also be used to make ship bottom coatings to prevent the hull from being attached by marine organisms such as barnacles; It can also be applied to outdoor cable facilities to prevent animals from biting.
Trial planting in multiple areas of Sichuan to boost farmers' income
A large amount of capsaicin needs to be synthesized, and industrial chili peppers require light intensity and duration. Previously, the main planting areas in China were Xinjiang, Gansu, Yunnan, etc., but in recent years, it has been promoted and planted in Guizhou, Chongqing, and Sichuan. However, the Chengdu area has less sunshine and hot and rainy summers, which may result in lower levels of capsaicin. In addition, there are serious pests and diseases, making it difficult to plant industrial chili peppers. In April of this year, we chose to conduct a trial planting in Guancang Street, Jintang County.
This variety has only started trial planting in Sichuan Province in the past two years and has not yet been widely promoted. In addition to Jintang in Chengdu, it is also planted in Nanchong, Leshan, Meishan, and Chongqing. Zheng Xiangen introduced that the yield of this variety can reach 500 to 1000 seeds per plant, with a yield of at least 3000 kilograms per mu. If the field management is done properly and the climate conditions are good, the yield can reach 4000 to 4500 kilograms per mu, and the profit is good, which can increase the income of farmers. In addition, chili peppers are usually planted in March and harvested in August every year; After harvest, crops such as wheat and rapeseed can be planted in rotation in the next season, as well as vegetables.
He further introduced that the variety was independently developed and bred in China, and the variety name is Zhongjiaoyou G19. This variety was developed as a substitute for the previously commonly used industrial chili variety, the Indian S17, and has a higher spiciness level (G19 has a spiciness level of 80000 to 120000 SHU, while the Indian S17 has a spiciness level of 70000 to 90000 SHU). In addition, this variety has good disease resistance, stress resistance, marketability and yield of chili peppers, and has a wide adaptability, making it suitable for promotion and planting nationwide.
The reporter learned from the Chengdu Agriculture and Rural Bureau that the 11th Chengdu International Urban Modern Agriculture Expo will be held from September 4th to 7th at the Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center. This year's Agricultural Expo has set up an exclusive exhibition area for agricultural new quality productivity, and there will also be many local "black technology" agricultural products in Chengdu, similar to "super chili", appearing in surprise. Welcome citizens and friends to explore.