Abstract
Information on the most suitable and high-yielding cayenne pepper variety for an off-season growing in dryland is important. This research aimed to examine the effect of foliar fertilizer on growth and yield of off-season cayenne pepper in dry land. The experiment was conducted during the rainy season of 2020/2021 in a dryland with a sandy loam soil texture in the area of Gumantar, North Lombok, Indonesia. Four cayenne pepper varieties, namely Dewata 43 F1, Pelita F1, Taruna, and Sret, were treated with three concentration levels (0%, 0,5%, and 1,0%) of organic foliar fertilizer. The treatments were arranged in a factorial randomized block design with three replications. The results revealed that application of foliar fertilizer increased number of flowers and yield, and reduced flower abortion. Pelita F1 yielded the highest, 11.5% higher than Dewata 43 F1 and three-fold higher than that of the non-hybrid varieties when treated with 1.0% of fertilizer. Dewata F1 was harvested at 70 days after transplanting (dat), followed by 76, 105 and 105 dat for Pelita F1, Sret and Taruna, respectively. To maximize the use of the rainfall and prolong the harvest time, Pelita F1 and Taruna varieties are highly recommended for dryland areas.
Highlights
The importance of cayenne pepper or chili (Capsicum frutescens L.) in the life and economy of Indonesian people is undisputed
Apart from its vitamin and mineral content, cayenne pepper and other chili species are rich in phytochemicals and dietary fibers [1]
Because of these benefits and ingredients, the demand for cayenne pepper nationally continues to rise in line with the increase of population
Summary
The importance of cayenne pepper or chili (Capsicum frutescens L.) in the life and economy of Indonesian people is undisputed. Apart from its vitamin and mineral content, cayenne pepper and other chili species are rich in phytochemicals and dietary fibers [1]. Because of these benefits and ingredients, the demand for cayenne pepper nationally continues to rise in line with the increase of population. With the limiting growing environment, chili plants are mostly cultivated in the dry season on irrigated lands. This condition results in limited availability of chilies in the market during the rainy season that makes the price of chilies can be very high
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