Jurnal Pembelajaran Dan Biologi Nukleus p-ISSN: 2442-9481

Vol 9 (1): 23-30, March 2023 e-ISSN: 2685-7332

Effect of Compost Tea and JADAM Microorganism Solution on

Growth of Chili Pepper In PT. Cinquer Agro Nusantara

Iffa Afiqa Khairani1*, Novriadi1, Septi Putri Wandasari1, M. Zulhiyadi

Nanda2, and Andi Anshori2
Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Institut Teknologi Sumatera
1

Jl. Terusan Ryacudu, Lampung Selatan 35365, Lampung, Indonesia.

2
Kebun Nusantara PT. Cinquer Agro Nusantara, Jl. Namang Pahlawan, Bangka
Tengah 33681, Bangka Belitung, Indonesia

*Corresponding author: iffa.khairani@bi.itera.ac.id

Submit January 22th 2023 and Accepted February 16th 2023

Abstract
Chili pepper (Capsicum frustescens) is herbaceous plant from the family solanaceae which is
massively cultivated in Indonesia. It also can be used as raw material for food product and pharmacy
industries. Organic fertilizer usage has been both a solution to increase productivity and a
replacement to chemical fertilizer usage. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of compost tea
organic fertilizer and JADAM Microorganism Solution (JMS) on the growth of chili pepper in PT.
Cinquer Agro Nusantara, Bangka Belitung. This research used a completely randomized design with
15 unit treatments which were divided into control group, compost tea group, and JMS group. The
result showed that the plant group with JMS performed the highest height expansion, increasing the
number of leaves significantly compared to control and compost tea group. This study concludes that
application of compost tea and JADAM Microorganism Solution (JMS) as organic fertilizer on C.
frustescens can increase the plant’s growth.
Keywords: chili pepper, compost tea, JADAM microorganism solution

Jurnal Pembelajaran dan Biologi Nukleus is Licensed Under a CC BY SA Creative Commons Attribution-
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https://doi.org/10.36987/jpbn.v9i1.3807

INTRODUCTION

Chili pepper (Capsicum frustescens) is a herbaceous plant from the famili solanaceae which is
massively cultivated as a horticultural commodity in Indonesia. Generally, plants of the
genus Capsicum contain vitamins C and E, provitamin A, carotenoids, and phenolic
compounds (Morales-Soto et al., 2013). The main compound in the extract C. frutescens
are luteolin, capsaicin, and dihydrocapsaicin which has a benefit as an antibacterial (Rivera
et al., 2019). The general utilization of chili pepper are in fresh or processed, as an
additive, and as flavoring in food. Chili pepper is also widely used as a raw material for

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Jurnal Pembelajaran Dan Biologi Nukleus p-ISSN: 2442-9481
Vol 9 (1): 23-30, March 2023 e-ISSN: 2685-7332

the food industry, such as sauces, chili powder, and flavoring. It is also starting to be used
in the pharmaceutical industry.
Chili pepper has a prospect for domestic consumption and export. In the 2017-
2021, the demand for chili pepper increased by 2.65% every year, which includes requests
for seed availability, consumption, and industrial raw materials (Sofiarani & Ambarwati,
2020). Several factors, such as the availability of nutrients, resistance to pests and diseases,
sufficient land, can influence the success rate of chili pepper farming. Good soil conditions
for the growth of chili plants are loose, crumbly soil, containing at least 1.5% organic
matter, containing nutrients and water, and also free from weeds (Fikrizal, 2018).
One of effort to increase the success of chili pepper’s farming is applying chemical
fertilizers. However, long-term use of chemical fertilizers will adversely affect soil quality.
In addition, the accumulation of residual fertilizers carried by rain can cause pollution in
body of water around agricultural land. Various negative impacts caused by chemical
fertilizers make farmers change over to organic fertilizers, which are more
environmentally friendly and easy to make. One form of organic fertilizer that has been
widely developed is compost tea. Compost tea is an option in developing organic
agriculture because it has various benefits, such as providing nutrients and growth
hormones in plants, and can be a biocontrol agent for plant diseases (Berek, 2017).
Another method of increasing the yield of organic farming is the provision of
inputs JADAM Microorganism Solution (JMS). By applying JMS, soil microorganisms
will suppress specific pathogens, moderate soil temperature, and increase the diversity of
nutrients for plants. Agricultural techniques using the JADAM method were discovered
in Korea and have been extensively researched and implemented in tropical countries
such as Hawaii and the Philippines (Cho, 2016). Based on the background above, this
study aims to determine the effectiveness of using organic farming techniques, compost
tea and JADAM Microorganism Solution on the growth of chili pepper plants in PT.
Cinquer Agro Nusantara (CAN), Bangka Belitung.

METHOD

This research was conducted in September - November 2022 at the PT. Cinquer
Agro Nusantara (CAN), Namang District, Central Bangka Regency, Bangka Belitung
Province. This research method used a completely randomized design (CRD) with fifteen
chili pepper (Capsicum frustescens) as an experimental units. Type treatment consisted of
control, treatment with the administration of compost tea, and treatment with the
administration of JADAM Microorganism Solution (JMS); each treatment contained five
plants as replicates.

Tools and materials

The tools used to make compost tea include filters, dippers, buckets, digital scales,
measuring cups, gembor, and aerator, while the materials used to make compost tea, i.e. 1
kg of solid compost, 500 mL boiled water of seaweed Sargassum sp., 1 L of pepper soaking
water (PT. CAN pepper soaking water with a 10 days of soaking time), 50 g of brown
sugar, and 20 L of water. In other hand, tools for making JADAM Microorganism

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Jurnal Pembelajaran Dan Biologi Nukleus p-ISSN: 2442-9481
Vol 9 (1): 23-30, March 2023 e-ISSN: 2685-7332

Solution (JMS) includes buckets, filters, dippers, measuring cups, digital scales, and
gembor, while the materials used to make JMS are 40 g of potatoes, 20 g of coarse salts,
20 g the soil of bamboo from PT. CAN, and 20 L of water.

The Compost Tea Preparation

50 g of seaweed Sargassum sp., and 50 g of brown sugar was boiled and then
cooled. All the ingredients are put into a bucket, mixed with 1 L of pepper-soaking water
and 1 kg of solid compost, and then give the aeration for two days. Compost tea is applied
by diluting it with water (ratio 1: 9), then sprinkled on chili pepper plants as much as 1 L
for each plant once a week.

The JADAM Microorganism Solution (JMS) Preparation

40 g of potatoes cut into small pieces and boiled until softened, then mixed with
PT. 20 g the soil of bamboo from PT. CAN, and 20 g of coarse salt. All ingredients are
put into the cloth and mixed with 20 L of water in a bucket. The bucket was closed and
left for two days. After two days, the activity of microorganisms formed an air bubbles
and foam, then JMS is ready to be applied. JMS was applied by diluting the JMS solution
and water (ratio 1: 9), and sprinkling 1 L of chili pepper for each plant once a week.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Results
The results of data analysis are presented in Table 1. Increasing the height of chili pepper
that given by compost tea and JADAM Microorganism Solution (JMS) were higher than
control plants. The group of chili pepper which given by JMS showed an increase in plant
height with an average of 48.4 cm (SE= 9.28), while the other two groups, which giving
a compost tea, showed increase in height with an average of 35.4 cm (SE= 1.81), and the
control group showed an increase in height with an average of 31.4 cm (SE= 4.74).

Tabel 1. Increasing of Plant Height and The Number of Leaves

Chili Pepper Treatment (Mean ± Standard Error)
K CT JMS
Plant height 31.4 ± 4.74 35.4 ± 1.81 48.4 ± 9.28 cm
cm cm
The number of leaves 25 ± 4.70 a
33.4 ± 4.95a 58 ± 10.02b
*The superscript letter a and b indicated a significant difference (P<0.05).
Aplhabet Description: (K) Control; (CT) Compost Tea; (JMS) JADAM Microbial Solution.

In line with the increase in plant height, the number of leaves of chili pepper plants
increased with compost tea and JMS also showed improvement compared to control
plants. The results of the statistical analysis and the LSD test in the chili pepper group
given by JMS showed an average the number of leaves by 58 leaves (SE= 10.02). This
value shows a significantly different increase compared to the group compost tea with an
average of 33.4 leaves (SE= 4.95) and the control group with an average of 25 leaves (SE=
4.70). Based on these two parameter data, the chili pepper group with the JMS treatment

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Jurnal Pembelajaran Dan Biologi Nukleus p-ISSN: 2442-9481
Vol 9 (1): 23-30, March 2023 e-ISSN: 2685-7332

showed the best increase in plant height and the number of leaves compared to the other
two groups.

Discussion

Organic farming techniques using compost tea and JADAM Microorganism Solution
(JMS) has been proven to increase the growth of chili pepper plants in PT. Cinquer Agro
Nusantara, that can be seen from the data on the increasing of plant height and the
increasing of number of leaves. This research is an early stage in testing the effectiveness
of compost tea and JMS on the growth of chili pepper plants. In this study, identification
of the types of microbes and measurements of the macro and micronutrients contained in
the compost tea and JMS had not been carried out, but based on literature studies,
compost tea and JMS has various benefits to help increase plant growth in organic
farming techniques.
Compost tea is a source of dissolved nutrients that can increase and improve plant
nutrient deficiency conditions. Nutrients available in compost tea are faster and easily
absorbed by plant roots and leaves. Compost tea can increase the population and diversity
of soil microorganisms, thereby improving soil structure, water retention, root depth, and
plant growth. Compost tea can also be a biocontrol agent for plant diseases by filling the
leaf surface and secreting secondary metabolites on the plant surface to limit the growth
of disease-causing pathogens (Hatam et al., 2015; Berek, 2017) .
This study's results align with other studies that have proven that giving compost
tea can increase the productivity of plants from the genus Capsicum. The research of
González-Hernández et al. (2021) suggest that giving-compost tea to peppers (Capsicum
annuum L.) showed a positive response by inducing growth and protecting chilli plants
from the disease Rhizoctonia solani and Phytophthora capsici.
Several studies related to the microbiological analysis of compost tea made from
composting green waste show groups of aerobic bacteria, nitrogen-fixing bacteria,
actinobacteria, fungi, and Trichoderma spp., are microorganisms that are commonly found
in compost tea. Another type of bacteria in compost tea is Pseudomonas spp. and spore-
forming bacteria such as Bacillus, known as Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria
(PGPR). Compost tea also contains macro and micronutrients beneficial to plants, such
as potassium, calcium, magnesium, and manganese. On the other hand, the content of
NO3- and K2O, which is relatively high in compost tea known to play a synergistic role
with microorganisms in increasing growth and suppressing disease in plants (Zaccardelli
et al., 2018; de Corato, 2020; González-Hernández et al., 2021).
The usage of compost tea on pepper plant leaves (Capsicum annuum L.) for two
years has been proven to increase the number of fruits per plant and improve the
physiological and nutritional status of pepper plants grown in greenhouse organic farming
systems (Zaccardelli et al., 2018). Other research shows-compost tea, which was given a
mixture of dry yeast, significantly increased the vegetative growth and physical quality of
sweet pepper (length, diameter and fresh weight), total yield, leaf mineral content (N, P,
and K) and fruit nutritional value content (calcium and vitamin C) (Abd-Alrahman &
Aboud, 2021).

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In an organic horticultural farming system, compost tea as a liquid organic

formula derived from compost extract not only increases the productivity of the genus
Capsicum, but it is also known to significantly increase the growth and development of
tomato, melon, and potato plants as seen from various plant growth parameters, such as
root length, stem diameter, number of leaves, and fresh biomass. Giving compost tea to
potato plants also reduces susceptibility to disease infections Rhizoctonia solani (Villecco et
al., 2020; González-Hernández et al., 2022). Tomato plant that given by compost tea once
a week showed a suppressive effect against pathogenic fungal attacks Rhizoctonia solani
and Fusarium oxysporum, as well as increasing the dry weight of tomato plants by threefold
(Morales-Corts et al., 2018). Application aerated and non-aerated compost tea in rice
plants showed a significant increase in plant height, number of productive tillers,
chlorophyll content, plant biomass, and grain yield. Besides that, compost tea can
significantly induce antioxidant enzymes such as peroxidase and superoxide dismutase,
which play a role in managing diseases in rice (Vanishri & Anil, 2019). Compost tea’s
formula has also been seen to increase the yields of some vegetables, such as lettuce and
kohlrabi, by 24% and 32%. In addition, the physiological and nutritional status of lettuce
and kohlrabi plants also increase, as seen from the value of leaf chlorophyll content
measured during the plant cycle (Pane et al., 2014).
The usage of compost tea very potential to be developed in sustainable agricultural
techniques. Compost tea positively impacts food crops, various types of vegetables, and
fruit crops. Compost tea given to mini watermelon plants showed increased fruit hardness
and quality index fruit value. It affected the quantitative profile of fruit sugar by affecting
the ratio between fructose, glucose, and sucrose in mini watermelons (Liguori et al.,
2015). Compost tea combined with the filtrate cyanobacteria and sprayed on the leaves
of cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) as many as three times on the 20th day, the 35th day, and
the 50th day after planting can maximize the vegetative growth and yield of cantaloupe
(Farrag et al., 2017). Giving 10% compost tea by spraying pomegranate trees is proven to
increase tree productivity, fruit weight, and percentage of pulp pomegranates, as well as
reduce the percentage of cracks in pomegranates (Kassem, 2021).
On the other hand, using JMS (JADAM Microorganism Solution) also showed a
positive effect on the growth of chili pepper plants. JMS is a low-cost organic farming
method introduced by Cho (2016). Cho explained that JMS is a liquid biological fertilizer
made by an anaerobic fermentation process, with more nutrient content than compost.
JMS contains microbes originating from the soil as a starter, potatoes as a source of
microbial food, and coarse salt as a source of minerals for microbial life. Soil
microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria play an essential role in decomposing
nutrients. Microbial activity is significant in restoring soil fertility so that soil becomes an
optimal growing medium for plants. JMS is expected to benefit farmers and can return
land contaminated with chemical farming to organic farming land. JMS applied to annual
crops (annual) can reduce soil salinity, initiate root formation, and protect plants from
disease attacks caused by nematodes and plant wilt (Cho, 2016).
Research using JMS has yet to be widely published, so the benefits of applying
JMS to many plants still need to be studied further. Other studies use microorganism
solutions carried out by Yusron et al., (2022), application Local Microorganism solution

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Vol 9 (1): 23-30, March 2023 e-ISSN: 2685-7332

(LoM) has been shown to increase soil respiration and microbial activity significantly. In
addition, giving LoM can increase growth and increase corn yields by 37.92%.

CONCLUSION

Organic farming techniques using compost tea and JMS have been proven to
increase the height and number of leaves of chili pepper plants in PT. Cinquer Agro
Nusantara. The treatment with JMS showed the best increase in plant height and the
number of leaves compared to the treatment compost tea and control group.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors thank to PT. Cinquer Agro Nusantara as a partner in industrial

internship activities carried out by students of the Biology Department, Faculty of
Science, Institut Teknologi Sumatera through the Program Kompetisi Kampus Merdeka
(PKKM) - 2022 from Kemendikbudristek.

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How To Cite This Article, with APA style :

Khairani, I.A., Novriadi., Septi P.W., M. Zulhiyadi N., & Andi. A. (2023). Effect Of Compost
Tea and JADAM Microorganism Solution On Growth of Chili Pepper In PT
Cinquer Agro Nusantara. Jurnal Pembelajaran dan Biologi Nukleus, 9(1), 23-30.
https://doi.org/10.36987/jpbn.v9i2.3807

Khairani et al., (2023) Effect of Compost Tea and JADAM Microorganism Solution Microorganism … | 30