Financial Analysis of Biofertilizer Application: Case Study of Gliocompost Utilization on Red Chili Farming

Abstract

In Indonesia, chili is one of the strategic commodities and defined as staple food other than rice, corn, and soybeans. Chili is also a horticultural commodity cultivated by many farmers, and it has a significant effect on inflation. Based on the results of the Indonesian National Survey (SUSENAS), chili consumption is estimated to increase by 0.81% every year. Considering such a condition, the increase of pepper production nationally needs to be continuously cultivated, either through the expansion of planting area or the increase in land productivity. At the level of chili farming fertilization with synthetic chemicals are very attractive to farmers, often excessive fertilization occurs that damages soil fertility and biological balance in the soil. As a result, farming efficiency is low, and the price of chili pepper becomes high. Therefore, it needs to find another alternative to chili farming at farmer’s level; one of this is using biological fertilizer. The Indonesian Agency of Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD) has assembled an agriculture input product of biofertilizer called Gliocompost, and it was tested in an on-farm research in Tapin District, South Kalimantan, in 2016. This paper presents part of the results of the research, in particular with regard to the objective of knowing the technical and economic efficiency of Gliocompost utilization in chili farming. Gliocompost was applied to two varieties of red pepper (Gandewa and Pilar varieties), three doses of chemical fertilizer (100% NPK, 75% NPK, and 50% NPK), and control (100% NPK without Gliocompost). Each treatment was replicated twice with a plot size of 300 m² each. The research was managed by a farmer with the guidance of field assistant and researcher. The results show that the use of Gliocompost can increase the productivity of red chili and financially feasible to the farmer.