Minister of Agriculture through the Directorate General of Horticulture issued a decree granting Horticultural Plant Variety Registration Certificate for Superior Melon Tacapa, a research of Faculty of Biology UGM. Melon Tapaca has two varieties, namely Tacapa Green Black with the characteristic color of dark black and Tacapa Silver with characteristic silvery white color, which is called superior because of its large size, weighing approximately 1.7 to 3.2 kg, sweet, resistant to mildew flour that causes powdery mildew and potential for development in critical areas on the karst land of conservation. It can be cultivated using medium volcanic ash. Both varieties have been successfully registered as horticulture crops on November 18 after passing through multi-location tests and successfully being harvested in some places.
Developers of Tacapa melon, Dr. Budi Setyadi Daryono, M.Agr.Sc., on Monday (21/12) said that the resilience of Tacapa melon, especially against powdery mildew, can minimize the use of pesticides during the planting process. To get a good harvest, generally melon farmers use pesticides to prevent damage or spoilage of fruit on the plants. However, the use of pesticides in agricultural commodities pose a potential danger to the health of farmers and consumers, among others, the risk of cancer, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children, nervous system disorders and weakened immune system. Furthermore, these melons will still continue to be developed for commercialization as improved seed melon in Indonesia.
"Finally, Tacapa melon along with its seeds are legal to be traded in Indonesia and it should be continued to be developed to strengthen the sovereignty of the Indonesian seeds. This melon is expected to be one of the products of superior Indonesian melon products with green fruit flesh, so as to reduce dependence on imported seeds,"Budi Setiadi Daryono concluded.