Due to the acute shortage of hybrid coconut seedlings that can be highly productive, the Coconut Development Board is planning to launch ‘collaborative research projects' with Post Graduate departments of Botany, Zoology and Biotechnology in colleges across Kerala who feel confident in production of hybrid coconut seedlings in farmer's field.

Training on hybridisation technique, collection of initial seed nuts and raising of nursery, etc can be supported by CDB. The Board is offering support for this specific collaborative research projects under Technology Mission on Coconut. The Board is planning to produce 5 lakh disease-resistant and high yielding seedlings through artificial pollination/hybridisation technique.

The field performance of the seedlings on establishment will also be subject to research subsequently. Best hybrid variety seedlings can be produced through artificial pollination. The collaborative projects can be implemented in 15 colleges across Kerala by which the Board can produce 5 lakh hybrid seedlings annually from 2013-14 onwards. It is expected that a single college can produce 50,000 seedlings an year. For this, there is a requirement of 80,000 seed nuts from 10,000 coconut bunches.

Those colleges/departments having the enough infrastructure facility for carrying out research can forward their project proposal to CDB for which the Board will provide financial support of 50 per cent of project cost under the Technology Mission Programme.

Projects can also be on topics like integrated pests and disease management in coconut, finding adulteration in coconut oil, health benefits of coconut, etc. Projects from the department of Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Biochemistry Statistics or interdisciplinary projects which will be beneficial for the coconut farming community are also solicited. Further details can be availed from the website www.coconutboard.nic.in.

> sajeevkumar@thehindu.co.in

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