This study aimed to evaluate the response of red chili pepper to the application of Ca(NO₃)₂ + B and Ca-Mg-S fertilizers on Inceptisol soil grown in polybags. The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Field of the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Islam Sumatera Utara using a factorial randomized block design consisting of two factors with three replications. The first factor was Ca(NO₃)₂ + B fertilizer at four dosage levels: 0, 5, 10, and 15 g polybag⁻¹, while the second factor was Ca-Mg-S fertilizer at four dosage levels: 0, 0.75, 1.75, and 2.25 g polybag⁻¹. Parameters observed included plant height, stem diameter, number of branches, flowering age, number of fruits per polybag, fruit weight per polybag, and total soil potassium availability. The results showed that the combined application of Ca(NO₃)₂ + B and Ca-Mg-S fertilizers significantly affected plant height, stem diameter, flowering age, number of fruits, and fruit weight per polybag, but had no significant effect on the number of branches. The highest plant height and stem diameter were obtained at the highest fertilizer combination rates. The earliest flowering age was observed in treatments K3S2 and K3S3 at 25.17 days after planting, whereas the latest flowering age occurred in the control treatment K0S0 at 32.50 days. The highest number of fruits was produced by treatment K2S3 with 29.50 fruits per polybag. Meanwhile, the highest fruit weight per polybag was recorded in treatments K1S3 and K2S3, each producing 112.00 g per polybag. Overall, the combined application of Ca(NO₃)₂ + B and Ca-Mg-S fertilizers improved the growth and productivity of red chili pepper cultivated on Inceptisol soil. The K2S3 and K1S3 treatment combinations were considered the most optimal treatments for enhancing yield performance through improved vegetative and generative growth balance.
Chairani Siregar1*, Diapari Siregar1, Ratna Mauli Lubis1, Dedi Kusbiantoro1, Yenni Asbur1 and Yayuk Purwaningrum1 (Mon,) studied this question.