Pengujian Efektivitas Mulsa Polyethylene pada Budidaya Cabai Menggunakan Sistem Fertigasi

Testing the Effectiveness of Polyethylene Mulch in Chili Cultivation Using a Fertigation System

Abstract

Chili is one of the essential horticultural commodities in Indonesia that can be utilized both fresh and processed. One example of processed chili is dried chili. Indonesia still imports dried chili due to the more competitive price of imported dried chili compared to local products. The application of appropriate cultivation technology can reduce the production cost of dried chili in Indonesia, enabling it to compete with imported prices. This study aims to reduce production costs by applying a non-mulched planting system using dense planting spacing. The research was conducted at the Cikarawang Experimental Garden, IPB, from December to May 2023. A non-factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used, with treatments of polyethylene mulch and non-mulch and a planting distance of 25 cm × 25 cm. Chili was harvested when the fruits dried naturally on the plant, at 83 Days After Planting (DAP). The results showed that plants using polyethylene mulch produced a higher number of fruits per plot (4,930 fruits) compared to non-mulched plants (4,221 fruits). The fruit weight per plot for plants with polyethylene mulch (6,891 kg) was higher than those without mulch (5,694 kg). Moreover, the fruit weight per hectare for plants with mulch (9.47 tons ha⁻¹) was higher than for plants without mulch (7.89 tons ha⁻¹). Cultivating chili with direct drying on the plant is best suited for regions with low rainfall.

Keywords: industrial chili, cultivation technology, planting distance, production, productivity