Judul: Effect of Shading Intensities on Fruit Position of Chilli Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.)
Abstrak: Cabai rawit (Capsicum frutescens L.) merupakan tanaman hortikultura yang memiliki nilai ekonomi tinggi dan banyak dikonsumsi di masyarakat. Permasalahan utama pada produksi tanaman cabai khususnya pemanenan adalah biaya dan tenaga kerja. Salah satu upaya yang dapat dilakukan adalah penerapan prinsip pemanenan mekanis. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui pengaruh pemberian beberapa intensitas naungan terhadap posisi buah cabai rawit untuk mendukung mekanisasi panen. Penelitian dilakukan di Kebun Percobaan Babakan Sawah Baru, IPB pada September 2021-Maret 2022. Rancangan percobaan menggunakan Split Plot Rancangan Kelompok Lengkap Teracak (RKLT) 2 faktor. Faktor pertama sebagai petak utama yaitu naungan yang terdiri dari 7 taraf, yaitu tanpa naungan, naungan 25%, 30%, 50%, 60%, 90%, dan 100%. Faktor kedua sebagai anak petak yaitu waktu pemberian naungan terdiri atas tiga stadia yaitu saat tanaman berbunga pertama kali, 2 minggu setelah berbunga (MSB), dan 4 MSB. Percobaan menggunakan 3 ulangan, sehingga terdapat 63 satuan percobaan. Setiap ulangan terdiri dari 20 tanaman, sehingga jumlah tanaman yang akan ditanam sebanyak 1260 tanaman dengan 5 tanaman contoh pada setiap ulangan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan posisi buah cabai dipengaruhi oleh perlakuan intensitas naungan dan stadia pertumbuhan dilihat dari adanya perbedaan arsitektur tajuk tanaman cabai. Tinggi tanaman cabai semakin meningkat dan tajuk melebar dengan semakin tingginya tingkat naungan sampai 60%. Desain pemanenan mekanisasi perlu memperhatikan faktor agronomi khususnya naungan., Chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) is a horticultural crop that has high economic value and is widely consumed as fresh by Indonesians. The main problems in the production of chili plants, especially harvesting, are costs and labor. Thus, the application of mechanical harvesting is important. However, the mechanical harvesting in chili peppers is still lacking. This study aimed to determine the effect of providing several shades of intensities on the fruit position of chili pepper to support harvest mechanization. The experiment was conducted in Babakan Sawah Baru Experimental Farm, IPB from September 2021 to Maret 2022. The experiment used a 2-factor Split Plot Complete Randomized Group Design (RKLT). The first factor was shade which consisted of 7 levels, namely no shade, 25% shade, 30%, 50%, 60%, 90%, and 100% as the main plot. The second factor as a subplot was the time of shading (the growth stage of chili plants), which consisted of three growth stages, namely when the plants flowered for the first time, 2 weeks after flowering (WAF), and 4 WAF. The experiment was carried out in 3 replications, so there were 63 experimental units. Each experimental unit consisted of 20 plants, with 5 sample plants per plot. The results showed that the position of the chili peppers was affected by the intensity of the shade and the growth stadia as seen from the differences in the canopy architecture. The height of the chili plants increased and the canopy widened with increasing shade levels up to 60%. In mechanized harvesting, agronomy factors need to be considered, especially shade intensity.
Keyword: environmental factors, growth, labor, plant architecture