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Workshop cum field visit on “ICAR-IIHR Technologies in Horticulture crops’ for UPASI Planters

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ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research in collaboration with United Planters Association of South India (UPASI), Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, has organised one day workshop cum field visit on “ICAR-IIHR Technologies in Horticulture crops’ to UPASI Planters on 18th May 2022, at ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru.  Dr. R. Venkattakumar, Head, Division of Social Sciences and Training, ICAR-IIHR welcomed the Director, ICAR-IIHR, delegates from UPASI and other participants. Mr. M.P. Cheriyan, President, UPASI, has stressed on “Climate Change and its impact on plantation crops. He emphasized on the urgency of crop diversification in plantations for improving revenue and also protecting the biodiversity, maintaining soil health, recharging aquifers and ecosystem services. Dr. T.S. Aghora, Principal Scientist and Nodal Officer (PME), ICAR-IIHR, has mentioned about the horticulture technologies for UPASI Planters particularly micronutrient and microbial formulations for improving soil health and also for possibility of adopting them in plantation areas of South India. Dr Debi Sharma, Principal Scientist, ICAR-IIHR, informed about the food safety referral laboratory including honey testing facility of ICAR-IIHR for industry use.  During the Presidential address, Dr. B.N.S. Murthy, Director, ICAR-IIHR, highlighted the fruit, vegetable and flower crops varieties/hybrids and also the production technologies available with ICAR-IIHR for adaptation in plantations. Dr. Murthy also suggested that there shall be Task Force involving both the parties for proper implementation activities and provision for annual review meeting between UPASI and ICAR-IIHR. Since multi-storied cropping system well known system, spices could be another potential area which can be done by involving ICAR-IISR, Calicut. He has also mentioned about integrated farming involving mushroom cultivation and Bee keeping for maximizing the output per unit area. Dr.C.K.Narayana, CEO, BESST-HORT briefed about the incubation facilities and opportunities for start-up entrepreneurship in horticulture. In the Technical Session, there were six lectures viz., 1) Possibilities of Rambutan and Mangosteen Cultivation in Higher Altitude. 2) Pummelo as an Intercrop in Tea Plantations, 3) Assessing the Potential of Avocado as an Intercrop in Tea Plantations, 4) Disease Management in Potential Horticultural Crops, 5) Soil Health Management for High Altitude Areas and 6) Insect Pest Management in Potential Horticultural Crops were delivered by Dr. T. Sakthivel, Dr. M. Sankaran, Dr. G. Karunakaran, Dr. S. Sriram, Dr. D. Kalaivanan and Dr PVR. Reddy, respectively. After the lectures, there was interactive session arranged between the planters and scientist. In the afternoon, the UPASI delegates were taken to soilless terrace garden, food safety referral laboratory, fruit crops demonstration plot, fruit crops nursery and gamma chamber facility of ICAR-IIHR. The programme was ended with vote of thanks by Dr. C. Vasugi, Principal Scientist, ICAR-IIHR.