Academic Department
AICRP on Palm, AAU-HRS, Kahikuchi
Constituent Department under Directorate of Research(Agri)
The All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Palms was started functioning at AAU–Horticulture Research Station from March, 1985 with financial support from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. The AICRP centre is situated at Kahikuchi in the Kamrup district of Assam bordering to National Highway 37 and geographically, it lies between 26°6.8272" North latitude and 91°36!.796" East longitude with an altitude of 57.4 m above mean sea level. Agro–climatically, the centre falls under Lower Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam. The climate is humid subtropical in nature characterised by hot summer followed by the monsoon of heavy rainfall and relatively cool winter with scanty rainfall. The annual rainfall ranges from 1500 to 2600 mm with an average of 1752 mm and the average temperature varies from 12ºC to 34ºC during the year. The soil of the centre is mainly alluvial clay-loam with the pH ranges 4.4–5.5.
With the establishment of AICRP on Palms at AAU–HRS, Kahikuchi, it paved the way for conducting more extensive research works on coconut for optimising coconut yield and quality. The AICRP on Palms since its operation is regularly conducting trials to develop location specific suitable technologies for the benefit of farming community of the region.
The research area of the AICRP centre is mainly focused on crop improvement and natural resource management with the following mandates.
To identify, conserve and utilize elite genetic resources for useful traits in palms from different agro-climatic regions and to evaluate performance of varieties/hybrids under different locations and to facilitate release of varieties/hybrids.
To standardize suitable agro-techniques for optimizing nut yield and quality in coconut.
To improve input use efficiency and develop location-specific palm based integrated cropping system to enhance the productivity per unit area.
Department Faculty Members
2 FacultyAssociated Faculty
Department Achievements & Accolades
1 RecordsVariety developed: A coconut variety ‘Kamrupa’ which is high yielder (more than 100 nuts/palm/year) and tolerant to stem bleeding, red palm weevil, crown choking and grey leaf spot with Copra yield: 2.86 tonnes/ha, Oil content: 65.0% had been released, notified and recommended for commercial cultivation in Assam state.
Hybrid released: A coconut hybrid ‘Kalpa Samrudhi’ (MYD x WCT) in collaboration with CPCRI, Kasaragod was released, notified and recommended for the state of Assam and Kerala which is high yielder (more than 138 nuts/palm/year), semi-tall, precocious bearing (comes to bear at 5 years), Copra yield: 3.1 tonnes/ha, Oil content of 68.0%.
Development of coconut based high density multispecies cropping system: A suitable model of coconut based high density multispecies cropping system has been established based on the results of the experiment carried out during 1991 to 2001. The model comprised of Coconut (16 adult palms) + Black pepper (Var. Panniyur-1) + Ginger (Var. Nadia) + Assam lemon + Banana (Var. Chenichampa) + Pineapple (Var. Kew). The above model was found to be profitable giving the highest net return of Rs. 3.0-4.5 lakhs/ha with a benefit cost ratio of 1.67.
Standardization of fertilizer application through micro-irrigation technique for coconut: Application of 75 % RDF through drip irrigation has been recommended for recording the higher nut yield (87.2 nuts/palm/year) and net return of Rs. 105470/ha with B: C ratio of 2.23 followed by 100% RDF through drip irrigation.
Nutrient management in coconut based cropping system: Application of 50% of RDF (345 g N, 200 g P2O5, 525 g K2O per palm per year) and organic recycling with vermicompost 16.4 kg/palm/year, vermiwash 5 lit/palm/year, biofertilizer 100g/palm/year and in situ green manuring 10 kg/palm for enhancing productivity and profitability in coconut based high density multispecies cropping system with black pepper, banana, pineapple, turmeric and Assam lemon as intercrops gave a net return of Rs. 3, 36,965.00/ha with a benefit cost ratio of 3.12.
Nutritional requirement of high yielding/hybrid coconut: A fertilizer dose of 500 g N: 500 g P2O5: 2000 g K2O for coconut hybrid COD x WCT, has been recommended for the state of Assam which gave higher yield of 114.8 nuts/palm/year and benefit cost ratio of 3.45.
Development of coconut based medicinal and aromatic cropping system model: A remunerative coconut based medicinal and aromatic cropping system model was developed at the centre. Out of five 5 MAPs tried under coconut, the intercropping system of Coconut + Patchouli proved to be the best which recorded net return of Rs. 1,78,089/ha and benefit cost ratio of 3.26 as against Rs. 52,750/ha and B:C ratio of 1.85 under coconut alone.
Intercropping of flower crops in coconut garden: Commercial flower crops such as gerbera, tuberose, gladiolus and marigold can be grown as remunerative flower crops in adult coconut garden without reduction in nut yield. The cropping system Coconut + Gerbera was more profitable (Net income: Rs. 380075/ha, B:C ratio: 3.5) than other flower crop.
2nd generation coconut based high density multispecies cropping system:Â Another profitable coconut based cropping system comprising of Coconut + Black Pepper+ Turmeric has been found suitable for Assam which gave a net return of Rs.79,038/ha with benefit cost ratio of 1.36.
Mixed cropping in coconut garden:Â Black pepper variety Panniyur-1 and Sreekara can be suitably grown as mixed crop in coconut garden for higher productivity and profitability.
Research & Extension Projects
1 Total Projects
Ongoing Projects (1)