Abstract: Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a significant spice crop cultivated in Yercaud of Salem district across an area of 1680 hectares, with a productivity rate of 0.2 tonnes per hectare. Harvesting is a tedious process especially in peak seasons. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Salem introduced unipole aluminum ladder for pepper harvesting under tribal sub plan programme in the year 2020-21. Arangam, Senthittu and Pelakkadu within the Maramangalam Panchayath of the Shervaroy Hills are the villages in Yercaud block of Salem district in which about more than 650 families are residing and all of them are small and marginal farmers cultivating pepper in an area of around 480 hectares. The process of plucking pepper presents a significant risk, with the potential for falls from bamboo ladders, leading to severe physical and health issues. To address these challenges, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Salem, introduced and supplied a unipole aluminum ladder under the Tribal Sub Plan. This affordable and efficient harvesting equipment is designed to be operated by any individual, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of the harvesting process. the Aluminum unipole ladder stands poised to effectively replace traditional bamboo pole harvesting methods in the Shervaroy Hills. Its multifaceted benefits, including safety, affordability, ease of use, and widespread acceptance among farmers, position it as a valuable asset in enhancing agricultural practices and productivity in the region. Hence the farmers are using the ladder without any fear of falling and efficiency of harvesting is increasing and the cost of cultivation is also reduced.

Keywords: Black Pepper, Harvesting, Unipole Aluminium Ladder, Impact Assessment

| DOI: 10.17148/IARJSET.2024.111260