One Day Seminar on Tuber Crops in Andhra Pradesh

The Institute has organised one day Seminar on ‘Improved Technologies of Horticultural Crops with Special Reference to Tuber Crops’ at Ryali, Atreyapuram Mandal in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh on 1st August 2019, in collaboration with Dr. YSR Horticultural University, Venkataramannagudam, AP. Dr. B.V.K. Bhagwan, Head, HRS, Dr. YSR Horticultural University, Kovvur inaugurated the seminar and released two technical leaflets about ‘Agro techniques of tuber crops’ in Telugu and English. Soil health cards were also distributed to the farmers. Dr. G. Byju, Principal Scientist, ICAR-CTCRI presided over the inaugural session. Classes on different topics related to the region were taken by Dr. G. Ramanandam, Head, HRS, Dr. YSR Horticultural University, Ambajipeta; Dr. N.B.V. Chalapathi Rao, Principal Scientist, HRS, Dr. YSR Horticultural University, Ambajipeta; Dr. K. Ravindra Kumar, Scientist, HRS, Kovvur; Dr. D. Jaganathan, Scientist, ICAR-CTCRI; Dr. A.V.V. Koundinya, Scientist, ICAR-CTCRI; Mr. R. Devanand Kumar, Asst. Dir. (Hort), Amalapuram; Mr. P.B.S. Amarnath, Hort. Officer, Kothapetta and Mrs. M. Babitha, Hort. Officer, Inavilli. Officials from Mondelez International and Aries Agro Pvt. Ltd. Also attended the meeting. About 120 farmers participated in the one-day seminar. East Godavari district is famous for elephant foot yam, yam and cassava cultivation. High yielding varieties, agro techniques, crop protection measures and scope for value addition were discussed. The Asst. Director, Horticulture expressed their interest in learning the processing technologies and informed that a group of young farmers will be sent to ICAR-CTCRI for training at Techno Incubation Centre. Customised fertilizers and micronutrient formulations for site specific nutrient management (SSNM) of elephant foot yam and yams being tested under FLDs and OFTs in the region will have to be popularised and made available commercially for profitable farming.