Technologies for black pepper are disclosed in Castanhal and Igarapé-açu (PA)

A dozen technologies recommended by research to improve black pepper cultivation in Pará, the largest national producer of the spice, will be studied and demonstrated at two events promoted by Embrapa Amazônia Oriental in the northeast of Pará this week. Open to the public, the field day in Igarapé-açu will take place on Friday morning (30) in the producer area.

The course focused on disseminating good practices for pipericulture takes place in Castanhal this Wednesday and Thursday (28th and 29th), at the Federal Institute of Technological Education (IFPA). The scientific efforts that aim to boost black pepper cultivation in Pará, in addition to increasing productivity, also consider minimizing one of the main obstacles to the culture: mainly due to diseases, especially fusariosis, the longevity of pepper plants has been of just 5 to 6 years, when it could be double that time.

"The challenge is to promote the adoption of practices that, as a whole, increase the longevity of plants, the productivity and quality of black pepper, making the sector competitive and up to international standards, as Brazil is one of the main exporters in the world", highlights Embrapa researcher Oriel Lemos, coordinator of technology transfer events for pipericulture in Pará.

Pará holds 90% of Brazilian black pepper production, with almost 23 thousand hectares of planted area and production of 34 thousand tons, with Igarapé-açu being the second largest state producer, according to data from March this year published in Report of the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production in the State of Pará.

Of the 144 municipalities in Pará, 79 grow black pepper, reveals the same report, indicating as the largest producers Tomé-açu (3.300 hectares of total planted area), Igarapé-açu (1.450 ha), Baião (1.380 ha), Capitão Poço (1.360 ha), Acará (1.300 ha), Mocajuba (1.100 ha) and Garrafão do Norte (1.050 ha). In relation to 2015, the document reveals that there was an increase of almost 2 thousand tons in the total produced in Pará, however the current average yield is still 2.174 kilograms per hectare, according to the document.

While the field day is open to the agricultural community (farmers, students, technicians, extension agents, credit agents, associations, cooperatives) and others interested in viewing technologies adopted in black pepper cultivation, the training is aimed at technicians and producers to train multipliers (who will share this knowledge with other audiences).

The training program includes explanations about soils (choice of area, liming, fertilization and nutrition of black pepper plants), live tutor (instead of wooden stakes, a plant is used, gliricidia), irrigation system in black pepper, main cultivars, seedling production and control of fusariosis with Indian neem (100% control in seedlings), diseases caused by fungi and viruses, insects associated with black pepper crops, harvesting and processing, drying and storage.

In addition to coordinator Oriel Lemos, other Embrapa instructors provide the training: Sônia Maria Botelho, Antônio José Menezes, Marli Poltronieri, Simone Rodrigues, Ilmarina Menezes, Alessandra Boari and Walkymário Lemos. From the Federal Rural University of the Amazon, Joaquim Alves de Lima.