Topping of Chili Plants and Pruning the Lower Leaves of Tomato Plants

The most important thing that farmers should do, is improving their knowledge continuously to farm enthusiastically and productively. Considering that agriculture is a food supply sector that’s needed by everyone, the number of farmers is expected to be increasing to concentrate on the development of agriculture and horticultural production in Sumba. For this reason, the Multiplication of Stube HEMAT invited the Matawai farmer group to study together and learn technical instructions for chili plants and tomato cultivation in Malumbi village, Kambera District, East Sumba Regency.

Most of the farmers in Malumbi are bamboo wall craftsmen. Besides farming, they have bamboo weaving skills, and to support their daily life they produce bamboo crafts for sale. Their skills are much better than their farming skills, therefore the technical knowledge of cultivating horticultural crops, especially chilies and tomatoes, needs to be improved. The Multiplication of Stube HEMAT collaborated with the Matawai farmer group to conduct training in Malumbi village (Monday, January 30, 2023). The participants consist of elder people and several young people. They are very enthusiastic to ask questions related to topping on chili plants and pruning the lower leaves on tomato plants because such practice was new for them.

The topping on chili plants aims to increase the number of new sprouts under the V branch so that the chili plants will have lots of fruit stalks and each plant will produce more chilies when compared to chili plants without topping treatment. The plants with topping tend to be short and round. In tomato plants, the pruning focused on the lower leaves and lower sprouts to maximize fruit production, the nutrients provided to the plants will focus on the flowering process and fruit growth. The level of fungal and bacterial threat on pruned tomato plants will be reduced and the light intensity will be maximized. Have a nice process, Matawai farmers. ***