Feasibility Analysis of Cultivating Shallots (Allium cepa var.aggregatum L.) Using True Shallot Seed and Tuber Seed

Abstract

The availability of quality seeds is a major obstacle to the sustainability of shallot cultivation. Botanical seeds or True Shallot Seed (TSS) can be an alternative seed source. The study aimed to compare the technical and economic feasibility of shallot cultivation using TSS of the Lokananta variety with the Bauji variety bulbsThe experiment was conducted using completely randomized subsampling. There were two treatments, each replicated 100 times, resulting in 200 experimental plots. The plots were in the form of beds, with an area of 2.2 m2 (2 × 1.1 m). Each bed was planted with shallots with a spacing of 10 × 10 cm. In each planting hole, one bulb seed or one botanical seed seed was used.  Two plants were selected for each seedbed as samples, resulting in a total of 400 data units. Observation parameters included the number of leaves and tillers, as well as wet and dry weights. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test. Economic feasibility was measured using a farming analysis approach. The test results showed that TSS seeds produced better plant height and tuber diameter, but conventional tubers were superior in leaf number, number of tillers, wet weight, and dry weight. The diameter of tubers from TSS reached 22.31 cm, while from seeds it reached 15.26. The economic feasibility results showed that revenue and profits were higher in the TSS treatment. TSS tubers had a larger diameter, resulting in a 50% higher price. The cost-benefit ratio obtained from the TSS treatment was 1.48 and the tuber treatment was 1.11.