Micro Climate Modifications to Increase Growth and Production of Shrubs Pepper

Abstract

In efforts to increase the production of shrubs pepper with good quality, it is necessary to engineer the physical environment, especially the microclimate and the provision of organic matter to produce quality pepper plants. Weather or climate is a factor that affects plant growth and development. Microclimate includes light intensity, temperature, and humidity. Microclimate modification is changing the environment from unsuitable to suitable. Microclimate modifications include: using shade and giving organic matter can improve soil properties such as texture, moisture and soil temperature. This study aims to: (a) obtain the characteristics of the microclimate, including: temperature, humidity, light intensity that enters the shrubs pepper under one layer (25%) and two layers (50%) shade as well as presenting compost to the growing media, ( b) observing the growth and production of shrubs pepper that were used one layer (25%) and two layers (50%) shade and presenting compost to the growing media, and (c) getting the interaction from using one layer and two layers and presenting compost to the media plant. This study used a randomized block design (RAK) with a factorial pattern with 3 replications. The first factor of shading is 25% (one layer) and 50% shading (two layer). The second factor is the combination of planting media used, namely soil, husk-charcoal soil (2:1), compost-soil (2:1), and husk-compost-charcoal soil (2:1:1). These two factors were applied to the age of one year and two years of shrubs pepper. Data analysis was performed by means of variance (F test) at a 5% significance level, and if there was a significant difference in effect, continued with the Least Significant Difference (BNT) test. Microclimate variables include: (a) light measurements, (b) temperature and humidity measurements, (c) soil moisture measurements. The agronomic variables of shrubs pepper cultivated include: (a) stem diameter, (b) number of branches (c) number of segment, and (d) number of shoot. The results of the observations showed that the using too much shade can be decreased plant growth. The combination of burn husk-compost-soil can be increased stem diameter, number of branches, and number of shoot of shrubs pepper.