Studi Komparatif Sistem Budidaya Tanaman Kentang (Solanum Tuberosum L.) antara PT Gabe Tiga Puluh dengan Petani Kentang di Kecamatan Merek Kabupaten Karo

Abstract

Potato is a horticultural commodity that plays an important role in food supply in Indonesia. The low productivity of potato crops in Indonesia is caused by various constraints, one of which is the continued use of conventional cultivation techniques. Karo Regency is the region with the largest contribution to potato production in North Sumatra. PT Gabe Tiga Puluh, an agricultural company located in Merek District, Karo Regency, has successfully produced high-quality potatoes that meet export market standards. This study aims to examine the differences in cultivation techniques and potato productivity between PT Gabe Tiga Puluh and local farmers in Merek District, as well as to identify the factors affecting potato productivity in the area. Data were collected using a survey method. Samples were obtained using a non-probability sampling method with a total of 20 potato farmers in Merek District as respondents. The results showed differences in potato cultivation techniques between local farmers and PT Gabe Tiga Puluh, including planting time determination, seed preparation, land preparation, planting, fertilization, weeding, hilling, pest and disease control, and post-harvest handling. The average potato productivity of respondent farmers in Merek District was 16.22 tons/ha, which was lower than that of PT Gabe Tiga Puluh, at 23 tons/ha. The analysis of the production function for potato farming in Merek District indicated that chemical fertilizers and pesticides had no significant effect on increasing potato productivity, while seed quality, represented by the use of certified seeds, had a significant positive effect on potato productivity in Merek District.