RARS, Palem organized a one-day training programme "Best Management Practices for Enhancing Productivity of Rabi Castor" on 31-10-2026
The Regional Agricultural Research Station, Palem organised a one-day training programme titled “Best Management Practices for Enhancing Productivity of Rabi Castor” was successfully organized at RARS, Palem under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) of the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Castor, funded by ICAR-IIOR. Farmers from Jangireddypalle and Vonguronipalle villages of Amrabad Mandal, Nagarkurnool district (a major rabi castor growing belt) were participated in the training programme.
The primary objective of the program was to build capacity and advance scientific castor production among Scheduled Caste farming communities hailing from Jangireddypalle and Vonguronipalle villages in Amrabad Mandal, a major rabi castor growing cluster in the region. The sessions provided end-to-end guidance spanning climate-resilient production practices, crop protection measures, high-yielding hybrid adoption, and post-harvest value addition.
Dr. L. Krishna, ADR, RARS, Palem addressed the farmers regarding prevailing elnino conditions and asked farmers to reduce the cost of cultivation and to go for the short duration crops. Dr. D. Shashi Bhushan, Principal Scientist (Oilseeds) interacted with farmers regarding the oilseed crop scenario in Telangana state and encouraged the farmers to go for oilseed crop cultivation & quality seed production of groundnut. Smt. K. Mamatha addressed crop geometry optimization, stress mitigation during drought periods, and balanced fertilizer scheduling specifically tailored to the light soils of Amrabad mandal. Emphasized precision water management and high plant density configs to maximize rabi yield potential under limited moisture availability. Dr. G. Eswara Reddy detailed high-yielding castor hybrids resilient to drought stress and resistant to fusarium wilt. Instructed farmers on selecting short-to-medium duration hybrids that align with the local microclimate of Vonguronipalle and Jangireddypalle.
Farmers toured the institutional Groundnut Oil Mill processing unit, learning how farm-gate primary processing and quality seed grading can yield higher market premiums. Smt. G. Madhuri and Dr. V. Divya Rani demonstrated eco-friendly pest control methods (pheromone traps, neem formulations) and preventive fungicide sprays against gray mold (Botrytis ricini) during humid spells.
The training successfully addressed key productivity bottlenecks faced by SC farmers in Amrabad mandal. By bridging academic research with practical field solutions, the program provided participating farmers with actionable skill sets to optimize input costs, improve crop health, and achieve higher economic returns during the 2026–27 rabi season. Later, Seed was distributed to programme beneficiaries.
