22 AGM
XXII ANNUAL GROUP MEETING
OF
ALL INDIA COORDINATED RESEARCH PROJECT ON PALMS
held at
Indira Gandhi Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Raipur
during July 22-25, 2013
22 ANNUAL GROUP MEETING
ALL INDIA COORDINATED RESEARCH PROJECT ON PALMS
POGRAMME
Venue: Indira Gandhi Krishi Viswavidyala, Raipur
Period: July 22-25, 2013
22.07.2013
9.00 - 10.00 hr : Registration
10.00 –11.45 hr : INAUGURAL SESSION
Welcome : Director of Research, IGKV, Raipur
Coordinator’s Report : Maheswarappa H.P
Project Coordinator (Palms)
Guests of honour : 1. Dr. George V. Thomas, Director, CPCRI, Kasaragod
2. Dr. T.P. Rajendran, ADG (PP) & OSD, National Instt.
of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur
3. Mr. Sugata Ghose, Chief Coconut Development Officer
CDB, Kochi
Release of publications Chief Guest
Best AICRP Centre Award
DDG (Hort.), ICAR
Presidential address Dr. N.K. Krishna Kumar, DDG (Hort.)
Chief Guest Address Dr. S.K. Patil, V.C, IGKV, Raipur
Vote of Thanks Director of Extension, Raipur
Technical Sessions:
I. Presentation on the Action Taken Report on previous meeting recommendations:
TECHNICAL SESSION – I : Variety release proposals
TECHNICAL SESSION – II : Genetic Resources & Crop Improvement
TECHNICAL SESSION – III : Crop Production
TECHNICAL SESSION – IV: Pest Management
TECHNICAL SESSION – V: Disease Management
TECHNICAL SESSION – VI: Post harvest technology in Palmyrah and TOT
PLENARY SESSION
SUMMARY REPORT
The XXII Annual Group Meeting of AICRP on Palms was held during 22-25 July, 2013 at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidhyalaya, Raipur (Chhattisgarh). The group meeting was attended by 100 delegates from 21 centres of AICRP on Palms, State Agricultural Universities, Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Directorate of Oil palm Research, Coconut Development Board and State Department of Horticulture covering 12 states of the country. The group meeting discussed the progress of ongoing research programmes in coconut, oil palm, palmyrah and fish tail palm (sulphi palm).
The Group Meeting was inaugurated by Dr. N.K. Krishna Kumar, DDG (Horticulture), ICAR, New Delhi and presided over by Dr. S.K. Patil, Vice Chancellor, IGKV, Raipur (Chattisgarh) on 22.07.2013 at IGKV Campus, Raipur. Dr. D.A. Sarnaik, Director of Research, IGKV welcomed the delegates and Dr. H.P. Maheswarappa, Project Coordinator (Palms) presented the annual report of AICRP on Palms. Dr. T.P. Rajendran, ADG (PP) and Dr. George V. Thomas, Director, CPCRI were guests of honour.
Dr. S.K. Patil, Vice Chancellor, IGKV, Raipur while delivering Chairman’s address acclaimed the contribution of small farmers for the food security and emphasized the need to take the long term benefits of research to the farming community. He opined that, Sulphi palm stands as an icon of the tribal community of Chhattisgarh, significantly reinforcing their livelihood. He also stressed that non-traditional areas should be brought under coconut cultivation with suitable location specific germplasm, to meet out the higher demand for oil production by 2030 AD. He also opined that oil palm which is a potential source of vegetable oil should receive more attention and sustained by faster adoption of technologies and availability of quality seedlings.
Dr. N.K. Krishnakumar, Deputy Director General, ICAR, New Delhi in his Chief Guest’s address, highlighted the importance of horticultural crops in meeting the nutritional security and in turn the food security of the country. He accentuated the abysmally low productivity of coconut in the major coconut producing states of the country. He suggested that the research priorities should focus on diversification and value addition in coconut. He also suggested to exploring the possibilities of growing date palms beyond arid zones and include the same under AICRP on palms. He highlighted the market potential of ornamental palms which have good business as integral part of rural and urban areas requires and urged the group meeting to pay adequate attention to them under AICRP on Palms. The tissue culture technology development has to go a long way in coconut in spite of developments made in arecanut and oil palm. Though arecanut cultivation is profitable, the devastating pests and diseases pose greater threat. He urged all the AICRP centres to focus their research on key issues viz., converting insecticide to non-insecticide farming with the use of bioagents, technologies addressing labour scarcity and introducing integrated farming system in coconut. With respect to palmyrah, he emphasized that though palmyrah research is turning out a success, the future plan has to be worked out by setting priorities. He also stressed that, it is a prime time to look into the gaps and strategies for technology transfer.
During the group meeting, seven technical sessions were held covering Action Taken Report, Variety release proposals, Genetic resources and Crop Improvement, Crop Production, Pest management, Disease management and Post harvest technology and TOT.
The major recommendations of the XXII AICRP Group meeting to be passed on to Extension System:
1. The hybrids like GBGD x LCOT, and GBGD x PHOT are performing well in Ambajipeta and Arsikere Centres. These hybrids are proposed for release during this group meeting. GBGDx FJT is performing well in Arsikere centre and proposed for release for Karnataka.
2. Based on the studies taken up on fertigation in coconut at different Centres of AICRP on Palms from 2007-08 to 2012-13, the following recommendations have been made for different regions of the country.
- Aliyarnagar, Veppankulam, Mandouri, Ratnagiri and Kasaragod Centres: The nut and copra yield per palm per year in fertigation of 50% RDF was on par with fertigation of 75% RDF and soil application of 100 per cent RDF. Hence, fertigation of 50% RDF can be recommended.
- Ambajipeta, Arsikere Centre: Application of 75% RDF through fertigation recorded significantly higher nut and copra yield per palm per year compared to soil application of 100% RDF and on par 100% RDF through fertigation. Hence, drip fertigation of 75% RDF can be recommended.
3. Higher productivity in coconut can be achieved through the adoption of cropping system approach. The crops are to be selected based on agro-climatic situation of the region.
4. The performance of Noni as intercrop in coconut is better in tissue culture plants compared to seedlings at Arsikere, Ambajipeta, Mandouri and Veppankulam Centres, while, seedlings are performing better at Aliyarnagar, Bhubaneshwar, Jagadalpur, Kahikuchi and Ratnagiri Centres.
Stem bleeding management
5. Application of Trichoderma viride cake formulation is found effective in controlling the stem bleeding disease in coconut when compared to the application of Trichoderma paste formulation.
Biological management of leaf blight
6. Root feeding of P. fluorescens culture filtrate @ 25ml/palm at quarterly interval along with soil application of P. fluorescens talc formulation (50g/palm/yr) + Neem cake (5 kg/palm/yr) was found to be the best against leaf blight disease.
Management of black headed caterpillar
7. Studies conducted at all three centres on olfactory conditioning of parasitoids of coconut black headed caterpillar, O. arenosella by exposing them to the odor of larval frass and larval damaged leaves revealed that parasitisation levels of O. arenosella was found to be significantly more in conditioned parasitoid release treatment than in the unconditioned parasitoids release treatments . Hence, while releasing parasitoids against O. arenosella they should invariably olfactory conditioned for 72 hours .
8. Studies conducted at all three centres on the implementation of IPM package including use of pheromones, baculovirus, naphthalene balls and Metarhizium anisopliae revealed that per cent incidence of rhinoceros beetle along with reduction in leaf and spindle damage was noticed in the experimental gardens one year after implementation of IPM package.
Management of Sulphi wilt
9. Among the combination of different bio agent, biofertilizers, farmyard manure combination with basal application of T. harzianum (1000g)+ Organic manure (10 kg) followed by crown application of 100% culture filtrate of T. harzianum were found superior to check the wilt disease in sulphi palm.
