Palem conducted training programme  on Promotion of castor cultivation

Regional Agricultural Research Station, Palem, has organized a training programme entitled as “Promotion of Castor crop under Crop Diversification in Nalgonda” for farmers of Ghattuppal, Nalgonda district, in view of the El Niño conditions and limited availability of water resources in online. During the programme, Dr. G. Eswara Reddy, Scientist (Plant Breeding), RARS, Palem, explained the importance of castor as a drought-tolerant, remunerative crop and highlighted the advantages of cultivating castor during rabi compared to kharif, particularly under limited water availability. He briefed the farmers on the available castor hybrids, their important characteristics, and recommended good agricultural practices, including sowing time, irrigation management, weed control and inter-cultivation practices.

Further, Dr. V. Divya Rani, Scientist (Plant Pathology), RARS, Palem explained the major pests and diseases affecting castor and discussed their identification and effective management practices to minimize crop losses. During the interactive session, farmers raised queries regarding the sowing window, irrigation practices and the incidence of male flowers in castor. Some farmers enquired about the importance and cultivation practices of High-Density Planting System (HDPS) castor. Others sought information on suitable intercrops, particularly redgram and groundnut, including sowing practices, seed availability and recommended crop management practices.

The programme provided an opportunity for farmers to clarify their doubts and gain practical knowledge on rabi castor cultivation and associated crop diversification options under water-limited conditions. The programme was attended by Sri Venugopal, Assistant Director of Agriculture (ADA); Mrs. Revathi, Mandal Agriculture Officer; and Sri Karthik, Agriculture Extension Officer, along with approximately 40 farmers from Ghattuppal, Nalgonda district.