Senjangnya hasil produk tanaman jagung antara produksi aktual dan potensi hasil khususnya di area dengan lahan jagung potensial—Sumatra Utara—membuat seluruh upaya dan program yang telah digalakkan, termasuk oleh pemerintah, perlu dikaji ulang. Kondisi ini menyiratkan fakta bahwa program-program dari pemerintah belum sepenuhnya diadopsi dengan baik oleh petani. Proses kaji ulang tersebut, salah satunya, tertuang dalam buku ini. Buku di tangan Anda ini merupakan perpanjangan tangan dari pelaksanaan serangkaian program terkait kegiatan pertanian dan pemanfaatan teknologi untuk mendukung keberhasilan dan peningkatan kualitas mutu budi daya tanaman jagung. Buku ini diharapkan mam­pu menjadi pedoman bagi petani, penyuluh, mahasiswa, praktisi pertanian, maupun pemerintah daerah dalam mengembangkan usaha tani jagung di Sumatra Utara.

Salah satu masalah yang dihadapi petani Jeruk keprok terigas di Kabupaten Sambas, Kalimantan Barat, adalah rendahnya mutu buah. Hal ini disebabkan oleh fluktuasi ekstrim kadar air, suhu, kelembaban tanah, dan serapan hara. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan mutu buah jeruk yang baik melalui pengurangan fluktuasi kadar air, suhu, dan kelembaban tanah serta pemberian hara yang cukup bagi tanaman. Penelitian dilaksanakan di Kabupaten Sambas. Rancangan penelitian menggunakan Split Plot Design, terdiri dari dua petak utama yakni lahan dengan parit digenangi dan lahan dengan parit tidak digenangi, masing-masing terdiri dari tiga anak petak yaitu 1) pupuk anorganik (teknologi petani), 2) pupuk anorganik + pupuk organik + mulsa, dan 3) pupuk anorganik + pupuk organik + mulsa + (Ca + B). Penelitian diulang empat kali dengan unit percobaan 10 pohon. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan penggenangan parit kebun selama musim kemarau yang diikuti oleh pemberian pupuk mampu meningkatkan mutu buah jeruk keprok terigas yaitu menurunkan buah pecah, meningkatkan diameter buah (grade), menurunkan kadar asam (%), dan meningkatkan kadar gula buah.

The aim of this assessment was to investigate the characteristic of dried chilli powder with different drying methods and pretreatmen size before dried. Chilli was cutted half and sliced before dried using solar drying or gas oven and then grind dried red chilli in a blender to produce chilli powder. The pretreatments is to make drying time shorter therefore can get better colour and vitamin C. The characteristic parameters were moisture content, colour (L*, a*, b* values), ash and vitamin C content. The results showed that the colour and vitamin C of dried chilli powder using solar drying was higher than that using oven. In addition, the sensory evaluation of abon cabe using the best quality of dried chilli mixture with fried shallots, fried garlic powder, andaliman powder, roasted teri and terasi were observed.

<p>Peat soil is one of the decent growing medium for aloe vera plant. Seeing the potential of peat land in West Kalimantan is quite extensive, this plant is cultivated commercially and becomes one of the leading commodity in peatlands in West Kalimantan, especially in Pontianak City with an area of more than 25,000 ha. With complete and varied nutrient content, this plant progress opportunities, especially for diversification is enormous ranging from food products and beverages such as juices, cocktails, aloe vera gel in syrup, jams, jellies, tarts, sweets, tea, chips and as well as agro-tourism in West Kalimantan. Existing obstacles now are market share and unstable price, trouble controlling plant diseases and peat area is flooded during the rainy season. Prospects for the future development of these plants can be carried out through the cooperation of government and relevant stakeholders,stable markets and prices, the acceleration of product promotion through fairs and business gathering activities, as well as the dissemination and application of cultivation technology and post-harvest of aloe vera.</p>

VCO Fermentation method can be done on a large scale with many advantages compared to the heating method, such as the effectiveness and efficiency of labour, time, cost, equipment also produce higher VCO quantity and quality. This study was aimed to determine type and yeast concentration with fermentation time that produced the best VCO yield and quality. The study was conducted from February to November 2015 in the Post Harvest Laboratory AIAT North Sumatra. The research used a completely randomized factorial design with 3 replications. The treatment consisted of 2 factors, which are yeast type (baker’s, tape, and tempeh) and yeast concentration (3,6,9,12, and 15%). The results showed the baker’s yeast of 15% concentration on 24 hours fermentation time gave the best yield (13.60%) and the highest score on organoleptic test. Interaction results of type and yeast concentration were significantly different on VCO water content but were not significantly different on FFA and peroxide value. Generally, the lowest VCO water content is obtained in tape yeast while the lowest FFA and peroxide value in baker’s yeast. VCO fermented by tempeh yeast produced the highest lauric acid (48.76%) while the highest medium-chain fatty acid composition produced by tape yeast fermentation (60.64%).