PENGARUH PENGGUNAAN PUPUK KOMPOS ORGANIK UNTUK MENINGKATKAN PERTUMBUHAN DAN HASIL TANAMAN CABAI RAWIT (Capsicum Frutescents L.)

SUMMARY
Effect of Using Organic Compost Fertilizer to Increase Growth and Yield of Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum frutescents L.). (Supervised by H. Muhammad Ansar, 2023).
Cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) is a horticultural plant whose fruit is used for various food purposes. Cayenne pepper is also a plant that is widely used for industrial purposes, including the cooking spice industry, food industry, and medicine or herbal medicine industry. Cayenne pepper production in Central Sulawesi fluctuates from year to year. Fluctuations are caused by climate change with changes in climate elements such as wind, air humidity, temperature and rainfall. Efforts to meet the need for cayenne pepper can be done by providing organic compost fertilizer which is very beneficial for increasing agricultural production, both quality and quantity, reducing environmental pollution and improving land quality in a sustainable manner. One of the organic fertilizers that can support plant growth and yields from cayenne pepper plants. This research aims to determine the effect of growth and production of cayenne pepper plants using organic compost fertilizer. This research was carried out from September to January 2023. The research location was in Sidera Village, Sigi Biromaru District, Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi Province. The research used a Randomized Block Design (RAK) which consisted of 1 treatment factor, namely: P0: Control (without organic fertilizer), P1: 10 tons/ha, equivalent to 6 kg/plot, P2: 20 tons/ha, equivalent to 12 kg / plot, P3 : 30 tons/ha, equivalent to 18 kg/plot, P4 : 40 tons/ha, equivalent to 24 kg/plot. Each was repeated 3 times to obtain 15 experimental units and each experimental unit consisted of 18 plants per plot with 3 sample plants. The results of the research showed that the use of organic compost fertilizer had no significant effect on the observation parameters of plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, number of branches at the age of 15 DAP and 60 DAP, fruit weight and number of fruit at the age of 79 DAP, 86 DAP, 93 DAP, 100 DAP. HST, and 114 HST. Meanwhile, those that influenced the observation parameters were the number of branches at 30 HST and 45 HST, fruit weight and number of fruit at 107 HST, 121 HST, 128 HST, 135 HST and 142 HST.