Chili Growth-Yield Improvement under Different Experience-Creativity Farmer Levels, Agronomical Components, and Their Partial Economic Analysis

Abstract

Chili (Capsicum annuum L.), though it is one of the strategic and important vegetable commodities in Indonesia; still faces a main problem, i.e. low productivity with 7.78 tons ha-1 nationally and 6.45 tons ha-1 specifically in Jawa Tengah. Consequently, the improvement of chili growth yield under different experience and creativity farmer levels (ECFLs), components of agronomy (ACs), and their economic analysis partially was addressed as the main objective of the research. C. annuum ‘Akar’, healthy and farmer seedlings were used in the field research. The factorial experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. ECFLs from high (ECFL-1), moderate (ECFL-2), less (ECFL-3), and initially developed (ECFL-4) were used as the first treatment, and five different ACs with gradual component reduction of ACs-1, ACs-2, ACs-3, ACs-4 and ACs-5 as second treatment. The research clearly revealed that different seedlings, ECFLs, and ACs significantly affected the ‘Akar’ growth yield. Cultivation of the healthy seedlings by ECFL-1, who had ± thirty years’ experience in chili cultivation and fast response to all and potential problems during chili cultivation, under ACs-1, as a complete and optimal ACs, increased vegetative growth and yielded 417.8 flowers and 289.7 fruits plant-1, 1,040.6 g chili plant-1, and 1,044.8 kg chili plot-1; 110-337% improvement; IDR. 16,750,081 farmer income from 250 m2 plot size; and 4.77 R/C ratio, respectively. However, for positive income, R/C ratio, and low production cost for all farmers, further applications of ACs-2 were promisingly chosen. Entirely the optimal growth yield of chili was established by using healthy seedlings, choosing suitable Acs, and paying more attention to the ECFL. The results can be applied to other chili types and varieties.