| Summary: | Paprika-type chile (<i>Capsicum annuum</i> L.) crops are susceptible to plant population losses through pest activity, disease, and extreme weather events such as hail storms. This study was conducted to determine the influence of intensity and timing of plant population reductions on the final harvested yield of paprika-type chile so that informed decisions can be made regarding continuing or ending a damaged field. Two trials, one per year, were conducted in southern New Mexico. ‘LB-25’, a standard commercial cultivar, was direct seeded on 29 March 2016 and 4 April 2017. Plants were thinned at three different growth stages; early seedling, first bloom, and peak bloom. Plants were thinned to four levels at each phenological stage; 0% stand reduction (control; ~200,000 plants/ha), 60% stand reduction (~82,000 plants/ha), 70% stand reduction (~60,000 plants/ha), and 80% stand reduction (~41,000 plant/ha). In both years, the main effects of stand reduction had a significant impact on harvested yield, emphasizing the percentage of stand reduction has more of an impact on yield than timing in paprika-type red chile. Consistently, an 80% stand reduction in paprika-type chile significantly reduced fresh red chile yield by 26% to 38%.
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