Teja-segment chilli (S-17 type)

Teja, designated in trade as S-17 or 'Super 17', is the slim-fruited, deep-red, high-pungency chilli segment that anchors Telangana and Andhra Pradesh dry-chilli production. It is one of the principal Indian export-grade chilli types, traded in stemless and with-stem forms and used as a parent in numerous private F1 hybrids.

Key characteristics

Trade names: Teja / S-17 / Super 17
Pungency: approximately 65,000-80,000 SHU
Colour: ASTA value of around 40-60
Fruit length: about 5-7 cm when stemless
Major production states: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka

Cultivation

Teja is grown extensively across the south Indian chilli belt, particularly in the black-cotton soils of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Standard package-of-practice steps cover nursery raising (Practice Chilli Nursery Raising), NPK and micronutrient management (Practice Chilli Fertilizer Schedule) and the IPM spray calendar (Practice Chilli Spray Schedule).

Pest and disease profile

The segment is sensitive to invasive black thrips (Pest Thrips Parvispinus Black Thrips), yellow mite (Pest Mites Chilli), chilli leaf curl virus (Disease Chilli Leaf Curl Virus) and fruit anthracnose (Disease Chilli Dieback Anthracnose).

Adoption and use

Teja is exported through Guntur and Warangal mandis to Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Middle East, and is recognised by the Spices Board of India as a distinct trade segment. It is the genetic baseline for many private '341-segment' hybrids such as BASF US 341 (Chilli Basf Us 341). Post-harvest is largely sun-drying on tarpaulin and yard surfaces (Practice Chilli Picking Drying) to reach 9-10% moisture for export-grade pods.

Chilli Guntur Sannam, Chilli Byadgi Segment, Chilli Basf Us 341, Practice Chilli Picking Drying, Disease Chilli Dieback Anthracnose

References

Teja S-17 chilli specifications. Sky Agri Export trade page.
S17 Teja chilli — Spices Board / APEDA-certified product profile. MTE Spices.