Management on biotic stress to improve the nutmeg quality in North Moluccas, Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia dominates about 76% of nutmeg production and export in the world, where around 28.26% is produced in North Moluccas and 24.25% of its from North Halmahera. The objectives of this study were to reduce the biotic stress, increase the yield and improve the quality of the nutmeg produced by Tarakani Farmer Group in Galela District. (1) the Morphology of dry fruit rot disease in each stratum and (2) nutmeg cultivation system collected through interviews; and (3) climatic data, including temperature, and rainfall obtained from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency of Galela District. This study was conducted at west Galela District and Tarakani Farmer Group. The farmers implemented the sanitation techniques of the crops; i.e.: pruning, collection and pile up/bury of the dropped fruits and fumigation by burning some leaves of local trees and biotic stress be controlled. During one year a grade A of nutmeg increased from 5.7 tons to 37.6 tons or increased from 17.6% to 38.2%. Nutmeg grade C reduced from 40% to 25%%. This effort will still be forwarded by utilizing biological agents to reduce biotic stress, such as Trichoderma spp. to control fungal pathogens and Bacillus thurigiensis to pest control.