Organic mulch sheet as a mitigation strategy in vegetable cultivation: Its effect on the growth and yield of chili (Capsicum annum L.)

Abstract

Plastic mulch, mainly used in chili cultivation, is less environmentally friendly due to its non-biodegradable characteristic. An alternative biodegradable mulch is needed to support growth and produce a desirable yield. Organic mulch sheet (OMS) is a promising alternative because it is made from natural fiber which is abundant and renewable organic material. This study aimed to understand the effect of organic mulch sheet (OMS) application on the growth and yield of chili (Capsicum annum L.). This research was carried out using a simple randomized complete block design with one control (black-silver plastic mulch) labeled as M0 and seven treatments (OMS compositions namely percentage of water hyacinth and banana stalk) labeled as M1 (80:20), M2 (70:30), M3 (60:40), M4 (50:50), M5 (40:60), M6 (30:70), and M7 (20:80). Mulch application significantly affected growth (plant height and number of leaves) and yield (fruit weight per fruit and fruit length) variables of chili. Although there was no significant difference in fruit weight per plant between control and OMS compositions, OMS application (M4) increased the yield of chili up to 25% from control. This finding affirmed that OMS is suitable for chili cultivation and can be used as a substitute for black-silver plastic mulch.

Identification of land characteristics to increase red chili productivity in Mangunan, Bantul, Indonesia

“…Improvement efforts that can be made due to high rainfall include creating proper drainage channels so that water can be minimized around red chili plants. Another effort that can be made in cultivating red chili plants is by raising the beds and using mulch [21,22]. The land suitability class within an altitude range of 0-300 meters above sea level, now classified as S3wa, na, eh, will potentially be reclassified as S2wa, na, eh.…”

Application of Several Compositions of Organic Mulch Sheet on Shallot (Allium ascalonicum L.) Cultivation

“…Beberapa penelitian sebelumnya tentang aplikasi O�S dari beberapa sumber bahan baku dengan beragam komposisi pada beberapa jenis hortikultura sayur menunjukkan pengaruh yang bervariasi terhadap pertumbuhan tanaman, namum secara konsisten menunjukkan pertumbuhan tanaman yang lebih baik secara signifikan dibandingkan tanpa aplikasi mulsa serta lebih superior atau serupa dibandingkan aplikasi mulsa plastik (Iriany et al, 2021a;2019a;dan 2019b) Tabel 2. Rata-rata jumlah daun (helai) bawang merah pada beberapa perlakuan mulsa organik lembar Keterangan: Nilai yang diikuti huruf yang sama pada umur tanaman yang sama tidak berbeda nyata berdasarkan uji Tukey (BNJ) taraf 5%.…”

“…Hasil yang berbeda ditunjukkan pada aplikasi berberapa komposisi O�S berbahan baku pelepah batang pisang, eceng gondok dan limbah padat penyamakan kulit berpengaruh secara nyata terhadap jumlah daun kubis bunga (Brassica oleracea L.) namun tidak berpengaruh secara nyata pada peubah tinggi tanaman (Iriany et al, 2019a). Hal ini sejalan dengan pengaruh nyata komposisi O�S dari eceng gondok dan pelepah batang pisang pada peubah tinggi tanaman dan jumlah daun tanaman cabai merah besar (Capsicum annum L.) (Iriany et al, 2021a). Selain O�S, penggunaan mulsa organik (daun kelapa sawit) pada tanaman bawang merah juga menunjukkan jumlah daun dan tinggi tanaman yang lebih tinggi dibandingkan tanpa aplikasi mulsa bahkan mulsa plastik hitam perak (Setyowati et al, 2021).…”