Okra attains its best fruit quality when the pods are still tender. The previous research reported that the crosses of the local okra, i.e. okra Merah and okra Hijau with introduced variety VE022 and B291 success to obtain plants with extended picking time. This research aimed to evaluate the fruit picking time and fruit characteristics of the F2 population and obtain the F2 genotypes that have a more extended fruit picking time. The research was conducted at the Research Station of the Faculty of Agriculture, Andalas University. The materials used are seeds collected from selfed-pollination of ten crosses [F2 populations] and okra Merah and okra Hijau cultivar as a control. Data collected based on an individual observation, and then the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and unpaired t-test at a 5% significance level. Results showed that a particular plant from the F2 population has a more extended picking time of up to nine days after anthesis, indicating improved fruit quality characters, i.e. fruit length, fruit diameter, and fruit weight. Plants obtained with a longer fruit picking time of nine and eight days after anthesis are 14.4% and 67.0%, respectively. Selected plants, i.e. FOHVE022-8-13, SOMVE022-10-1, and FOHVE022-8-13 that consistently reveal a high number of fruits per plant, larger fruit size, and heavier fruit weight, need to be self-pollinated and evaluated in further research before releasing as a variety.

Salah satu faktor rendahnya produktivitas padi di Provinsi Sumatera Barat adalah masih kurangnya penggunaan benih yang berkualitas. Di samping itu, varietas padi yang digunakan pada saat ini memiliki resistensi yang rendah terhadap hama dan penyakit, khususnya hama wereng yang dewasa ini sering menyerang padi di Sumatera Barat. Badan Tenaga Nuklir Nasional (BATAN) merupakan salah satu institusi yang menghasilkan varietas padi baru melalui teknologi mutasi, salah satu varietas yang dihasilkan adalah varietas Kahayan. Varietas Kahayan memiliki beberapa keunggulan dibandingkan varietas sebelumnya, yaitu berumur genjah, produktivitas tinggi, serta memiliki resistensi terhadap beberapa hama dan penyakit tanaman tertentu. Tujuan kegiatan ini adalah melakukan diseminasi penangkaran benih padi varietas Kahayan kepada kelompok tani penangkar agar mereka dapat memenuhi kebutuhan benih padinya secara mandiri. Kegiatan dilaksanakan pada Kelompok Tani Air Sarasah di Nagari Sungai Batang, Kecamatan Tanjung Raya, Kabupaten Agam pada November 2019 hingga Maret 2020. Kegiatan terdiri atas sosialisasi kegiatan penangkaran, pelaksanaan penangkaran padi varietas Kahayan, dan pendampingan penangkaran padi varietas Kahayan. Dari kegiatan ini kelompok tani mampu telah melakukan penangkaran padi dengan lebih baik, sesuai dengan standar operasional penangkaran benih yang telah ditetapkan oleh Kementerian Pertanian Republik Indonesia. Di samping itu, kelompok tani juga telah mampu meningkatkan pengetahuan mereka dalam melakukan sertifikasi benih padi. Dari hasil penangkaran diperoleh hasil benih padi Kahayan kelas Benih Dasar (BD) sebanyak 6,1 ton/hektar yang melebihi hasil rata-rata padi nasional, yaitu pada tahun 2018 sebanyak 5,2 ton/hektar.

Utilizing idle land as agricultural land is one option that can be pursued to support national food security and independence. Indonesia has various types of alternative food commodities that have the potential to be developed on nutrient-poor land, one of which is hanjeli. Technical cultivation is needed to increase the growth and yield of hanjeli on sub-optimal land. This study aims to determine the best planting distance to increase hanjeli production on idle land. The research was conducted from October 2020 -March 2021 in Limau Manis, Padang City, West Sumatra. The materials used in this study were rice cultivar hanjeli seeds, manure (20 tons/ha) and NPK fertilizer (200 kg/ha). The experimental design used was Randomized Group Design with 3 groups and consisted of 8 plant spacing treatments (40 x 40 cm, 50 x 40 cm, 50 x 50, 50 x 60 cm, 50 x 70 cm, 50 x 80 cm, 50 x 90 cm, and 50 x 100 cm). Observation data were analyzed statistically to determine the influential treatment using the F test at the 5% level and significantly different data were tested using the Duncan's Multiple Range Test at the 5% level. It was concluded that the spacing of 50 x 70 cm, 50 x 80 cm, 50 x 90 cm and 50 x 100 cm gave the best effect on the number of total tillers/plant, the number of productive tillers/plant, the number of seeds/plant, the percentage of filled seeds, the weight of filled seeds/plant. As for productivity, the spacing of 50 x 80 cm gave the best results.

Sunflower plants have many benefits as food, especially for vegetable oil. The development of sunflower cultivation in Indonesia has not been optimal, especially in sunflower production. Increasing production requires superior seeds. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct field tests to know the growth and yield of sunflower plants in the lowlands before plant assembly. The objective of this study was to determine the growth and yield of five adaptive sunflower genotypes. The research was conducted in July - September 2022 in Pauh Sub-district, Padang City, West Sumatra Province The plant genotypes were Ha1, Ha15, HU1, HU2, and HU3. The observed variables were plant height, stem diameter, flowering age, main flower diameter, the weight of 100 seeds, and the percentage of empty seeds. The research used a Completely Randomized Block Design and data analysis was by analysis of variance and if the F test on the analysis of variance shows a significant effect, then it is continued with Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at 5%The results showed that the genotypes had a significant effect on the variables of plant height, stem diameter, main flower diameter, and weight of 100 seeds. According to the observed variable, HU3, Ha1, and HU1 were more adaptive in lowlands than others.

Indonesia mempunyai beragam sumberdaya pangan sehat yang sangat berpotensi untuk dikembangkan, salah satunya ialah Hanjeli. Diketahui bahwa tanaman serealia ini memiliki bentuk fenotipik yang beragam serta adaptif untuk tumbuh pada berbagai kondisi lingkungan. Beragamnya karakteristik antar genotipe hanjeli akan berpengaruh terhadap mutu biji baik secara kualitas maupun kuantitas. Cara membedakan karakter khas dari masing-masing genotipe hanjeli, diperlukan pengamatan dan pengukuran secara detail salah satunya pada organ perkembangbiakan yakni biji. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi mutu fisik biji hanjeli lokal Sumatera Barat sebagai langkah untuk mendapatkan genotipe yang potensial dari segi kuantitas maupun kualitas. Enam aksesi hanjeli yang digunakan meliputi PTA-1, KKD-3, PH-4, BTA-2, GT-2, dan TJR-2. Percobaan ini menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok dengan 3 ulangan sehingga didapatkan 18 satuan percobaan. Disimpulkan berdasarkan dimensi aksialnya (panjang, lebar dan tebal biji) menunjukkan bahwa aksesi dengan kode BTA-2 dan KKD-3 memiliki bentuk dan ukuran biji terbesar dan aksesi dengan kode GT-2 sebagai aksesi dengan bentuk dan ukuran biji terkecil. Pada pengamatan tingkat kekerasan biji, ketebalan epicarp, bobot 100 biji pecah kulit serta rendemen biji pecah kulit aksesi dengan kode PH-4 menunjukkan sebagai genotipe terbaik.