Nursery Protection To Enhance Agricultural Yield And Promote Sustainability In Chill Farming

Abstract

In tropical areas, farmers face many challenges in cultivating chilli, especially from pest attacks and diseases. This study aims to assess the impact of nursery protection and plant variety on chilli yield. The experiment was conducted in Kediri, East Java, in the wet season, using two factors in a randomized complete block design, i.e. factor one (use of protective nurseries and without protection) and factor two (varieties of AVPP1102B and Gada®). Nursery protection included the use of netting, Trichoderma-based compost and plant-growth-promoting-rhizobacteria (PGPR) treatment. The results showed that chilli plants from a protected nursery and of the AVPP1102B variety had better yield in terms of quantity and weight of fruits. The Gada® variety was prone to wilt diseases. The level of diseases caused by wilt, viruses, anthracnose and blight on chilli plants without nursery protection was higher than those with protection. The Gada® variety was more susceptible to wilting, viruses, anthracnose and blight than AVPP1102B. There is a relationship between nursery protection and plant variety in terms of observed pests and diseases. Nursery protection may enhance the growth and yield of chilli plants, and the sustainability of chilli farming may be improved by replacing the use of harmful chemicals with natural protective agents like Trichoderma compost and PGPR treatment.