Innovation Description
Mr. Francis PA from Kerala had developed a cultivation practice for black pepper.
Targeted crop: Piper nigrum L. (Black pepper)
Practice detail: In Papachchan's agronomic practices adequate natural drainage is the best for pepper cultivation. Practice suggests for a two feet deep and one-foot wide trench along the border for isolating the pepper garden from other trees. No pits were taken up for planting. Pepper is grown as a pure crop in order to avoid intercropping losses. Planting material is prepared by cutting runners just below the nodes to restrict the plant to a single root. Jackfruit is considered as the best of the standards due to its timber value and manorial value of leaves. Saplings are planted close to standards so that the collar region is about three inches above the ground and is exposed to environmental conditions from the tender age so that the plants develop innate resistance. Mulching is used to reduce the erosion effects of raindrops and to conserve the soil. Mother vines are selected very carefully based on past performance so as to obtain regular good yields, better growth, and pest free cultivars. The saplings are planted after the start of south-west monsoon rains. Mucuna bracteata DC. ex Kurz is raised as a cover crop, to improve soil fertility and to maintain a suitable soil environment for the growth of the root system. No-tillage is required. Irrigation is not required under normal circumstances, but if a monsoon break extends beyond 15 days, the field has to be irrigated. The yield potential is double in this method (0.7-1.2 tonnes of dry pepper/acre) compared to conventional farming methods (0.3-0.5 tonnes). In addition, there is no need of weeding, as no weed grows due to the standards and tolerant to footrot disease is more.
Advantage: Better growth, higher yield in organic cultivation.
