Technical and Economic Performance of Horticultural Assistance on Shallot Farmers in NTT and North Sulawesi: Evidence from Demonstration Plots and Surveys

This study analyses the technical and economic performance of shallot cultivation under a horticultural mentoring program in East Flores Regency (NTT) and Minahasa Regency (North Sulawesi) during the March– August 2018 planting season. A Randomized Block Design was used with four fertilizer treatments: A (full technology package), B (50%), C (25%), and D (non-participant), each replicated five times. Observed agronomic parameters included plant height, number of leaves, number of bulbs, fresh and dry bulb weights, and total yield per hectare. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey’s DMRT test (p<0.01), followed by farm feasibility analysis (cost, income, R/C, and B/C ratios). Results showed that treatment A achieved the best agronomic performance in both provinces. The highest plant height reached 35.9 cm (North Sulawesi) and 29.6 cm (NTT), with bulb numbers of 8.4 and 5.6, respectively. Fresh bulb weight was 1,210 kg (North Sulawesi) and 1,096 kg (NTT), while dry weight reached 1,057 kg and 914 kg. Productivity was 11,036 kg ha⁻¹ in North Sulawesi and 10,960 kg ha⁻¹ in NTT. Economic analysis confirmed farming feasibility with B/C ratios of 1.46 (NTT) and 5.91 (North Sulawesi). These findings highlight that technological innovation-based horticultural assistance significantly enhances shallot farming’s technical and economic performance.