Chili or chilli or chili are the fruits and plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. The fruit can be classified as either vegetable or seasoning, depending on how it is used. As a spice, spicy chillies are very popular in Southeast Asia as a flavor booster. For Padang cuisine, chilli is even considered the tenth "staple food" (instead of nine). Very difficult for Padang cuisine made without chili.
Big red chili (Capsicum annuum L.) is one type of vegetables that have high economic value. Chili contains a variety of compounds that are useful for human health. [1]. Sun et al. (2007) reported that chili contains antioxidants that serve to keep the body from free radical attack. The greatest content of this antioxidant is on green chili. Chili also contains Lasparaginase and Capsaicin which act as anticancer substances (Kilham 2006; Bano & Sivaramakrishnan 1980).
Chili (Capsicum annum L) is one of the many vegetable commodities cultivated by farmers in Indonesia because it has a high selling price [2] and has several health benefits that one of them is a capsaicin substance that functions in controlling cancer. In addition, vitamin C content is high enough in chili to meet daily needs of everyone, but should be consumed sufficiently to avoid stomach pain.
Chili or lombok is included in the eggplant (Solanaceae) clump and is a plant that is easily grown in the lowlands or in the highlands. Chili plants contain vitamin A and vitamin C and contain essential oil capsaicin, which causes spicy flavor and provide warmth when used for spices (kitchen spice). Chili can be grown easily so it can be used for daily needs without having to buy it in the market.
Chili plants suitable to be planted in soil rich in humus, friable and nest, and not stagnant water; Ideal soil pH is around 5-6. Good planting time for dry land is at the end of the rainy season (March-April). To obtain a high price of chili, it can also be done in October and harvest in December, although there is a risk of failure. Chili plants are propagated through seeds grown from healthy plants and free from pests and diseases. Chili fruit that has been selected for seedlings dried in the sun to dry. If the heat is enough in five days it has dried up and then the seeds are taken: For one hectare area it takes about 2-3 kg of chili (300-500 gr of seed).
One of the main obstacles in chili production system in Indonesia is the presence of fruit fly attack on chili fruit. These pests often cause crop failure [3]. The 2006 Department of Agriculture report shows that damage to pepper plants in Indonesia can reach 35%. Chopped peppers often appear healthy and intact from the outside but when seen in them rot and contain fly larvae. The main cause is the fruit fly Bactrocera carambolae. Since the initial phenomenon is not apparent, while the pest is still limited in Indonesia, the fruit flies become a dreaded quarantine pest that can inhibit the export of fruits as well as on the production of chili.
In addition to the fruit fly, Kutudaun Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is one of the most important pests in cultivation of chili because it can cause damage up to 80%. Control measures can use the plant insecticides Tephrosia vogelii extract and Alpinia galanga. [4]
Pest prevention efforts Edit
Actually, efforts have been made to control the fruit fly attack, among which is pembrongsongan that can prevent fruit fly attack. However, this method is not practical for chili plants in large areas. While the use of insecticides in addition to polluting the environment is also very dangerous for fruit consumers. Therefore, it is necessary to control the environmentally friendly and suitable to be applied in wide area such as in central land of chili production. Efforts to control fruit flies in pepper plants, especially red peppers, are the use of synthetic insecticides because they are considered practical, easy to obtain, and show rapid effects. In addition to synthetic insecticides, plant-based insecticides such as pig nuts Tephrosia vogelii, Citrus hystrix citrus, Cymbopogon citratus fragrances are effective as a fruit fly repellent. [5]
Adiyoga and Soetiarso (1999) reported that 80% of vegetable farmers use pesticides to control plant diseases. However, the use of insecticides often leave residues that are harmful to the environment and human health (Duriat 1996). In addition to the price of expensive synthetic insecticides, the impact of synthetic insecticide residues in economics is the rejection of exports by many export destination countries over chilli products containing fungicidal residues and other pesticides (Caswell & Modjusca 1996). Among the most widely used insecticides in controlling fruit fly attack on chili are Diazinon, Dursban, Supracide, Tamaron with 3-5% concentration, and Agrothion (Pracaya 1991).
