Name : Arghya Narendra DianastyaID : 5620000087Major : Agronomy, Bachelor Degree Student

Guide Lines for Fertilizer Recomendation (Capsicum annum) According to Indonesian Agriculture Ministry

BACKGROUND :

Chili is one of Horticulture crop that very provitable to be cultivated by Indonesian farmer. There are many kind of cultivar that can be grown. One of the most popular one is Red-Chili ( Capsicum annum)(Cabai Merah as we call it in Indonesia).

As same as Thailand, Indonesia and any other ASEAN country love a spicy food. Chili becomes one or maybe the only option to get a spicy sensation. Not like main food crop such as rice, corn or potatoes, the price of chili in Indonesia is up and down, even a farmer and supplyer or distributor cannot predict it. The price of chili does not control by the goverment, unlike rice, corn, sugarcane, and palm oil.

Price of chili becomes a national issue every year. That problem is mainly caused by season. Rain season in the season that very unfavorable for chili cultivation, mainly in Indonesia. Phitophthora sp dan Colletroticum become a huge enemy for a farmer. When the rainy season comes (mostly in September - January), the production of the chili decreases, and makes the price going up (up to 15 USD per kg). Worstly, Those months also become the months which most Indonesian celebrate their muslim ceremony, which surely need many kind of food, specy food. When the dry season comes, the price becomes going down (3 USD per kg), and causes many lost for a farmer.

TYPICAL AREA FOR CHILI CULTIVATION IN INDONESIA

Chili is grown throughout the country. The major growing areas are all the provinces of Java, with a total harvested area that remained constant at about 83 thousand ha during the 1998-2002 period. However, the average yield in these areas decreased from 6.2 to 4.6 tonnes/ha (FAO, 2005).

It has been known that chili only can grow mainly in dry season to avoid the Phitophthora sp dan Colletroticum. Dry land in indonesia, mostly in Java, has become the main place for chili cultivation. According to the Indonesian minstry, dry land is mostly the place when the rain fall is very low.

(rain fall map in Java Island. The red one is the lowest rainfall region)Source: http://balitklimat.litbang.deptan.go.id/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=61&Itemid=119&limitstart=10

According to that picture, the lowest rain fall area (dry area) that suitable for chili cultivation is in Central and East java. Low land area is the most suitable one for chili cultivation.

(typical low and dry land area for chili cultivation)

West Java is not suitable for this kind of cultivation, because the rain fall is abundance. In fact, one of the city in West java, is called the city of rain (Bogor City). Bogor is also known as the place for the most famous Agriculture University in Indonesia. (IPB).

(IPB logo and typical area that cover Western Java that not suitable for chili cultivation)

SOIL TYPE IN DRY LAND AREA

There are many type of soil in Java. Mostly because java is surounded by active volcanic mountain that can erupt anytime. Those kind of phenomenen can give soil in java rich of mineral, and from the process of weathering, the tyep of soil in java becomes diverse undisputely. According to http://eusoils.jrc.ec , the soil type of java is as follow:

(Soil Map in Java)

Source : http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/esdb_archive/eudasm/asia/lists/s2_cid.htm

After comparing those two image. We can see that the dry land in Java that has low rainfall mostly has Aluvial soil properties. So it can be conclude that in Java, where almost chili cultivation take place, are grown in Aluvial soil. Aluvial soil can be found mostly in low area of Java, when it forms from sedimentation of soil river.

According to http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/ , the properties of Aluvial soil is very dark-greyish–brown clay loams and silty loams, overlying yellowish-brown mottled clays and silty clay loams. Soil structure is weak, and permeability is moderate. Aluvial soil is not well drained, and their topography means they are prone to flooding. Their water-holding capacity is quite high. In Alluvial soil, phosphorus and potassium levels are normally high, and the soils are moderately acidic with a pH (water) of 5.3 to 5.7.

(typical Aluvial soil in Indonesia as sedimentation from a river)

(profile of Aluvial soil)

Source : http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/225985

FERTILIZER RECOMENDATION OF CHILI CULTIVATION IN INDONESIA

We have already know that chili in indonesia is mostly grown in dry area and has aluvial soil properties. Based on that data, goverment try to make general recomendation for fertilizer in chili cultivation. According to , http://hortikultura.litbang.deptan.go.id/ recomendation for fertilizer in Indonesia is as follow :

Fertilizationa. For chili in monoculture planting in dry land

Given basic fertilizer in the form of a horse or cow manure as much as 20-40 tonnes / ha and fertilizers TSP 200-225 kg / ha was given before planting.

Supplementary fertilizer such as :

Urea (Nitrogen = 46 %) 100-150 kg / ha ZA (Phospate = 24 %)300-400 kg / ha KCl (Kalium = 60 %) 150-200 kg / ha was given 3 times at 3, 6 and 9 weeks after

planting

b. For planting chillies are overlapping shifts with shallots (red onion)

Shallots red onion: horse or cow manure 10-20 tonnes / ha and 150-200 kg TSP / ha was given 7 days before planting, then Urea 150-200 kg / ha, ZK 400-500 kg / ha and 150-200 kg KCl / ha given at 7 and 25 days after planting, respectively ½ dose.

Red chili: horse or cow manure 10-15 tonnes / ha and 100-150 kg TSP / ha given a week after planting. Urea 100-150 kg / ha, ZA 300-400 kg / ha and KCl 100-150 kg / ha was given at the age of 4, 7 and 10 weeks after planting.

c. For planting pepper intercropped with cabbage or tomatoes

Horse or cow manure 30-40 tonnes / ha and NPK 15:15:15 as much as 700 kg / ha was given a week before planting by way of spread and mix it to the ground. Given in the form of supplementary fertilizer NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer diluted (1.5-2 g / l of water), with a volume of 4000 l spray solution / ha. The fertilizer is given from the age of 6 weeks before planting and repeated every 10-15 days.

ANOTHER CHILI FERTILIZER RECOMMENDATION BASED ON AREA IN JAVA

Table above comes from FAO (2005). If we see from the table, it can be said that the fertilizer needed in Central Java is higher because the central java land is not fertile and very arid (dry). Most of chili in Indonesia grown in that area. It means that it requires alot of fertilizer to produce 1 kg of chili.

FERTILIZER RECOMENDATION FOR OTHER AGRICULTURAL CROPS IN INDONESIA

Source : Taken from FAO (2005)

COMMON BRAND INDONESIAN FERTILIZER

(Number one Fertilizer Producer in Indonesia)Source : http://www.petrokimia-gresik.com/Home.aspx

(Left: Urea Fertilizer subsidized by government Produced byPetrokimia Gresik)

(Right: Non subsidized Urea Fertilizer Produced byPetrokimia Gresik)

(ZA (ammonium sulfat))

(organic fertilizer subsidized by goverment (red coloured))

(Other product of Petro Kimia Gresik, including KCl, DAP, Rock Phosphate, Kalium Sulfat, and Organic Fertilizer)

REFERENCE :

FAO. 2005. Fertilizer use by Crop in Indonesia. Rome : FAO

http://balitklimat.litbang.deptan.go.id/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=61&Itemid=119&limitstart=10.

http://hortikultura.litbang.deptan.go.id/index.php?bawaan=teknologi/isi_teknologi&id_menu=4&id_submenu=19&id=47&bhs=english

http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/esdb_archive/eudasm/asia/lists/s2_cid.htm

http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/agriculture-and-food/dairy/pastures-management/fertilising-dairy-pastures/soil-types-of-the-dairying-areas

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/225985