A training programme on scientific cultivation practices for improving pepper yields was organised for farmers at Paderu on Tuesday under the joint aegis of the Horticultural Research Station, Chintapalli, functioning under Dr. Y.S.R. Horticultural University, and the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development under the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Experts provided technical guidance on high-yielding pepper varieties, nutrient management through organic farming, use of vermicompost and liquid bio-fertilisers, management of root rot disease using Trichoderma, and control of sap-sucking pests through neem oil application.

Among those who addressed the programme were Dr. T. Padmalatha, ADR, RHRS Lam, Guntur; district horticulture officer Kanta Bala Karna; Kalyani, senior field officer of the Spices Board; research officer K. Manoj Kumar; senior technical assistant K. Tejas Das; Dr. Pradeep Kumar of DAATTC, Paderu; senior scientist and head Dr. V. Ramana; and scientist Dr. Satish.

Representatives of voluntary organisations, including Vijayavahini Charitable Foundation, Vasan and CSM, also participated. Farmers from Paderu and nearby areas attended the programme in large numbers.