25 AGM

SUMMARY REPORT

XXV Annual Group meeting of All India Coordinated Research Project on Palms was organized from 19^th to 21^st May, 2016 at ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod. The Annual Group Meeting was inaugurated by Dr. K. Ramasamy, Vice Chancellor, TNAU, Tamil Nadu. Dr. C. Chowdappa, Director, ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod. Dr. R.K. Mathur, Director, IIOPR, Pedavegi, and Dr. P.L. Saroj, Director, DCR, Puttur graced the occasion. Dr. H.P. Maheswarappa, Project Coordinator (Palms) informed the house that AICRP (Palms) was adjudged as the Chaudhary Devi Lal Best AICRP Award in the country. He further presented a brief report of the progress and activities of the project. During the 3 days programme deliberations were held to review the technical programmes of the project.

On 21^st May, 2016, during plenary session, Dr. N.K. Krishna Kumar, DDG (HS) opined upon including cocoa as a mandate crop under AICRP on Palms to address the problems of that crop and renaming the project as AICRP on Palms & Cocoa. Recommendations emerged from the centres were released for farming community. For the year 2015-16, AICRP on Palms, Aliyarnagar (TNAU) centre was adjudged as the best centre. During the programme, 10 publications were released for the benefits of the stakeholders. The meeting was attended by 100 participants representing 29 centres spread across 13 States and one Union Territories, apart from the scientists from the ICAR-CPCRI and ICAR-IIOPR.

Following technical sessions were held during the annual group meeting of AICRP on palms.

• Technical Session 1: Action Taken Report
• Technical Session 2: Variety Release Proposals
• Technical Session 3: Genetic Resources and Crop Improvement
• Technical Session 4: Crop Production
• Technical Session 5: Disease Management
• Technical Session 6: Insect Pest Management
• Technical Session 7: Post Harvest Technology in palmyrah and TOT
• Technical Session 8: Plenary session