Utilizing fertilizer combination and biological agents to control Meloidogyne sp. on black pepper (Piper nigrum)

Abstract

Abstract Parasitic nematodes that cause yield loss up to 32% on black pepper are Radopholus similis and Meloidogyne incognita. Continued application of chemical pesticides causes environmental damage and health issues. Organic fertilizers and biological agents can reduce infections, increase plant resistance, and improve soil fertility. The study aims to study the influence of fertilizer and biological control applications on parasitic nematodes and black pepper production. The research was conducted in a black pepper field in the Tanggamus district, Lampung province, Indonesia, using a Block Randomized Design with 5 treatments and 6 replications. The treatments were organic+inorganic fertilizer, organic+inorganic+biofertilizer, organic+inorganic fertilizer+biological agents, organic+ inorganic+biofertilizer+biological agent, and control (farmers technology). Organic and biofertilizers applied in the early rainy season at 25 g/tree and 3 kg/tree, then the biological agent was a month after at 100 ml/tree. The result showed inorganic and organic fertilizers, biofertilizers, and biological agents suppress the population of Meloidogyne sp. in the roots and soils at 53,90% and 65,88%, respectively. While in productivity, the longest vines were 9,27 cm, the most vines were 8,53 vines and the heaviest peppercorn was 15,97 g. These values were significantly different from the control at 7,8 cm, 4,3 vines, and 8,94 g, respectively.