Professor of IPB Assembled Various Varieties of Superior Chili
In the course of this research, Professor of Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University (Faperta IPB), Prof.Dr. Muhamad Syukur, SP, M.Si, focused to conduct the research on the chili commodity, in addition to several other food crops that had been done since 2003. Until 2012, as many as 18 varieties got the certificates from Pusat Perlindungan Varietas Tanaman dan Perizinan Pertanian / Center for Plant Variety Protection and Agricultural Licensing (PPVTPP) and/or had been released by Minister of Agriculture RI. Meanwhile, several varieties of superior chili which were ever assembled were included Cabai IPB CH3, Pesona IPB and Cabai Pelangi.
“The main commodities are chili, tomato, bean, okra, then eggplant. I have assembled chili since 2003. Originally, it is the large chili for the industrial use, then curly chili, cayenne chili, and lastly ornamental chili,” revealed Prof. Syukur.
Cabai IPB CH3 and Pesona IPB were launched by the Rector of IPB and the Minister of Agriculture RI in October 2010. The advantages of Cabai IPB CH3 were high productivity, its harvest age was faster, high spiciness (2-3 times of the usual chili spiciness), so that it was suitable for the sauce industry.
Pesona IPB had a high productivity advantage of long fruit size, high spiciness (almost ten times of the usual chili spiciness), and assembled using the local genetic resources. IPB CH3 was included in 103 Indonesian Innovations in 2011 with the title of “IPB CH3: Merah, Besar, Pedas, Berkualitas / IPB CH3: Red, Big, Spicy, Qualified”, while Pesona IPB was included in 104 Indonesian Innovations in 2012 with the title of “Cabai Pesona IPB: Panjang, Pedas nan Mempesona / Cabai Pesona IPB: Long, Spicy and Charming”. The seeds of IPB CH3 and Pesona IPB were propagated and commercialized by Darmaga Seed IPB.
One of Prof. Syukur’s other assembly results was Cabai Pelangi which had a unique function, in addition to the ornamental chili which could also be consumed and could be a solution in fluctuation in the chili price. “I see that the price fluctuation of chili is more due to supply and demand (its availability and needs),” revealed Prof. Syukur.
Fluctuation in the price of chili was actually because of the household. If the industry had fixed their industry already to take 30 percent of the total production, the rest was household. “Well if the household, if we want to overcome the price fluctuation, then the household should be self-supporting food. So, if the household could plant five to ten posts periodically, then in a year they no longer need to buy the chili. The chili is later for the industrial purpose only. In order for the households to be interested in planting the chili, then I make the chili to be able to be planted in pots and in the form of the ornamental chili in order to be attractive,” explained Prof. Syukur.
The ornamental chili had a short size, it could be planted in pots, it was interesting to see and it could be consumed if the fruit was old. The pelangi color was the main attraction of this chili. The fruit growth phase of this chili plant would cause the different color expression. Starting from the purple color, then it was out of the green and red colors, from the yellow color, it was out of the purple color, it was out of the orange or white color, and lastly the red color. “So, that’s the phase of the fruit growth, until it becomes red. Because each nut (branch) issues different flowers gradually, starting from the lower branches appear, a week later comes the second branch, a week later is the third branch, a week later is the fourth branch, while the first one is one month old and the last one is only a week old, consequently there is a gradation of color. In one plant, it will have different colors, because there are variations in the age of the fruit. The stages of this fruit growth that causes this chili called Cabai Pelangi. We can consume the purple chili fruit that is higher in its anthocyanin. By consuming chili from one chili plant, we get the food intake with the diverse nutritional content. That’s an ornamental chili in addition to food planted in pots, also to cope with the price fluctuation,” he said. (IRM/ris)
