Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
Optimizing production of black pepper cuttings: insights from pole implementation and combined fertigation with retained tendrils
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Rusmin Devi, Melati Melati, Suryadi Rudi, Darwati Ireng, Pitono Joko, Trisilawati Octivia
Research Articles | Published: 25 May, 2026
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Keywords: Cutting quality, Nutrient application, Plant material, Support poles
Abstract
The production of black pepper cuttings primarily depends on mother plants, which are supported by live climbing poles. However, these live poles compete with the mother plants for nutrients, thereby limiting tendril growth to a maximum of three per plant to maintain good cutting quality. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of fertigation and artificial support poles in improving cutting production. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot design with four replications. The main plot factor consisted of two types of support poles: (1) living poles (Gliricidia sp.) and (2) artificial poles made of PVC pipes covered with polyvinyl carpet, 2 m in height. The subplot factor consisted of 12 combinations of fertilization and retained tendril treatments, representing combinations of fertilization method/dose (Control, 50%, 75%, 100%) and number of retained tendrils (2, 4, or 6). Following cutting production, the harvested cuttings were evaluated for quality under screenhouse conditions as part of the same experimental framework. The results demonstrated that the use of artificial support poles significantly enhanced tendril growth, leaf development, and chlorophyll content compared to live supports. The application of fertigation enabled a reduction of up to 50% of the recommended fertilizer dose while maintaining or even improving plant growth and cutting production. In addition, maintaining six tendrils per mother plant further increased cutting yield without negatively affecting cutting quality. Overall, these findings indicate that integrating artificial support systems, fertigation, and optimized tendril management can substantially improve nutrient-use efficiency and propagation performance in black pepper. This integrated approach represents a resource-efficient and environmentally sustainable strategy, aligning with current advances in precision and climate-smart agriculture, and may also apply to other perennial vine crops.
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Author Information
Research Center for Estate Crops, National Research and Innovation Agency, Bogor, Indonesia