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Chilli
A rediscovered perennial: chilli can keep fruiting for a decade or more once soil biology — not chemistry — is restored.
Overview
Chilli is biologically a perennial plant, similar to cotton, capable of remaining productive for many years where cold stress is managed. Conventional ("ACI") practices — heavy urea use, repeated tillage, chemical pest control — collapse soil biology and lock chilli into a short, disease-prone annual cycle instead.
PQNK Practices Applied
- Break the hardpan and correct soil chemistry before planting, then build permanent 42-inch raised beds with Jantar cover cropping, mulch, and no-till planting
- Soil moisture managed by feel, not by calendar — keeping plants slightly on the dry side improves fruit set, quality and disease resistance
- Seed germination tested before sowing (soaked in cloth 1–2 hours, kept warm 2–3 days) to set an accurate seeding rate
Results & Testimony
The PQNK principle: when soil biology is alive, fertilizers become unnecessary, pests do not dominate, and disease does not express — breaking the urea-pest-spray cycle that conventional chilli farming depends on.