Seham Al Mahrouqi

Some sweet pepper varieties can grow well even in very hot and humid weather. Varieties like ‘California Wonder 300 TMR’, ‘Camelot X3R’, ‘Karma’, ‘Revolution’, and ‘Red Knight’ are known to tolerate such conditions better than others. These types have been specially developed or selected to handle heat stress and still give a good yield. However, even with heat-tolerant varieties, one common issue faced in hot and humid climates is poor fruit setting. To deal with this, farmers or gardeners can take a few simple steps. First, it helps to give the plants some light shade during the hottest part of the day to reduce heat stress on the flowers. Regular and balanced watering is also important, as both too much and too little water can stop the plants from setting fruit. Using mulch around the base of the plants can help keep the soil cool and moist. It's also important not to overuse nitrogen fertilizers because they encourage leafy growth rather than fruiting. In areas where pollinators are less active due to humidity, hand-pollinating the flowers early in the morning can help improve fruit set. Lastly, growing peppers in well-drained soil with good air flow helps keep the plants healthy and reduces the risk of diseases that can affect flowering and fruiting.

Growing sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum) during the extreme summer temperatures of 35–45°C with high humidity—especially outside a cooled greenhouse in the Arabian Gulf’s coastal region—is very challenging, but not impossible with the right varietal selection and management strategies.

Commercial Hybrids Known for Heat Tolerance:

· Aristotle X3R(Seminis)

· Double Up(Syngenta)

· Heatmaster F1(Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

Some Indian Varieties also have the potential to perform well in high temperature conditions like :

Arka Gaurav (IIHR)- Red colour, Suitable for open field

Arka Basant (IIHR)- Yellow, Good summer hybrid

Kashi Abhiraj (IIVR)- Green, For open & net house

Kashi Yellow Wonder (IIVR)- Yellow color, Use shade for best results

Arka Mohini (IIHR)- Red color, Can try with partial shade

Kashi Sandesh (IIVR)- Green color, Open field adaptable

None of these are explicitly rated for 42–45°C, but among public-sector options, the Arka series (IIHR) and Kashi series (IIVR) show the best field resilience in heat and humidity.

For open-field summer cultivation in the Gulf, you'd still need:

• Early morning irrigation
• Shade net (30–50%)
• Hormonal support (e.g., NAA)
• Mulching

Several sweet pepper varieties are known to tolerate high heat and humidity, including "California Wonder 300 TMR", "Camelot X3R", "Karma", "Revolution", and "Red Knight". To mitigate poor fruit set issues, practices like providing light shade during the hottest part of the day, ensuring consistent and balanced watering, using mulch, avoiding excessive nitrogen fertilizer, and hand-pollinating in areas with limited pollination can be helpful.