Organic foliar fertilizer to improve yield of cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) grown off-season

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.