A survey conducted by the CORE team in Idukki district proved that almost 70% of the planted stem cuttings were not surviving due to strong summer and high systemic infections whichdiminished black pepper production every year. For solving the issue CORE team developed a package for seed germination which is least expensive and not practiced by the pepper farmers. The major advantages of the technology are chances of systemic infection are low and root shoot ratio is identical for withstanding summer seasons and also we can develop a healthy generation in black pepper.
Methodology
Collection of ripe pepper berries from mother plant.
Remove the fleshy skin.
Mix with wood ash and dried in shade for a day.
Sow the seeds in raised earthen beds of 15 cm thickness, 1m width and desired length.
Cover the seeds with soil with a thickness of 0.5 cm.
Again cover the beds with dry grass.
Water the beds twice a day.
The seeds germinate by 32nd day.
Transfer the seedlings to polybags in a potting mixture combination of soil, vermicompost, sand and coco peat at 2:1:1:1 ratio.