Farmers – Scientist Interaction Programme was conducted by KVK, Utukur, Kadapa on 21^st February, 2013. Dr. T. Giridhara Krishna, the Associate Director of Research, RARS, Tirupati presided the function. Sri. G.Jonathan, Joint Director of Agriculture, Dr. G.Karuna Sagar, Principal Scientist & Head, Agricultural Research Station, Utukur, Kadapa, Dr. A.Veeraiah, Coordinator, DAATT Centre, Utukur, Kadapa, Sri. Madhusudan Reddy, Assistant Director (Horti-I), Kadapa and Venkateswarlu, PD, APMIP participated as honorary guests. Dr. B.Padmodaya, Programme Coordinator, KVK, Utukur, Kadapa explained the importance of “Farmers-Scientist Interaction Programme” to clarify many issues related to crop improvement, crop production and protection aspects.

The Associate Director of Research, suggested the farming community of the Y.S.R. district to utilize the services of KVK, DAATTC, ARS and Agricultural Polytechnic College for better understanding of Agricultural issues and produce quality and there by increase their income from Agriculture and allied fields. The Joint Director of Agriculture explained to utilize services of Agricultural scientists of the district and Agricultural Officers for betterment of their living standards. The Assistant Director (Horti-I) explained the schemes in vegetable & fruit crops and requested the farming community to understand improved technologies and adopt them with the help of scientists & extension personnel. The Project Director, APMIP assured the farmers to provide micro irrigation facility within stipulated time.

Farmers asked several questions in plant protection in oil seeds, rice, pulses, tomato, brinjal, banana, mango, acid lime and sweet orange. Major issues like leaf miner, bud necrosis in groundnut, necrosis disease, Heliothis in sunflower, BPH and neck blast in rice, tomato spotted wilt virus, shoot & fruit borer and white fly in brinjal, mangumite in sweet orange, Sigatoka leaf spot in banana, cotton sucking pests were some of the important plant protection aspects clarified by scientists to the farmers during the interaction programme. About 120-130 farmers participated from various parts of the Y.S.R. district.