പ്രാദേശിക കാര്‍ഷിക ഗവേഷണ കേന്ദ്രം, വെള്ളായണി

The National Agricultural Research Project was launched by Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 1979 with the World Bank assistance to strengthen the research capabilities of State Agricultural Universities and to conduct location specific research in the main agro ecological zones. The project was implemented in two phases, phase I (1979-85) and phase II (1986-1993).  Under the project, Regional Agricultural Research Stations were established for addressing the zonal research needs and fostering linkages between research, extension and farmers. The Regional Agricultural Research Station for the Southern Zone of Kerala was established at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani on 30th November, 1981.

 Mandate of the Station

• Development of improved varieties of crops suited to various locations in the Southern Region of Kerala.
• Development of location specific agro technology for different crops, cropping systems and farming systems  suitable for Southern Kerala.
• Production of breeder seed materials of improved varieties and mother cultures of beneficial organisms.
• Development, dissemination and promotion of proven deliverable technologies to the farmers.

Accomplishments

Accomplishments of this regional station include the release of 49 crop varieties in coconut, rice, tomato, amaranthus, okra, sesamum, chilli, bajra groundnut, napier hybrid, cowpea, fodder, mushroom.  Several technologies have been developed and released for crop improvement and crop protection.

Technology Developed for Crop Improvement

Released recommended 45 improved varieties of crop, one mushroom hybrid and one mushroom variety. Rice  (2)  coconut(1)  vegetable cowpea (4),  chilli (5),  bhindi (2), bhindi hybrid (1), amaranthus (1) tomato (1), sesamum (3), groundnut (5), grain cowpea (3), black gram (2), guinea grass (3), bajra  napier hybrid (2), fodder cowpea (1), fodder rice bean (1),  sweet potato (1), hybrid mushroom(1) mushroom variety (1) , orchid hybrids (5)  and  jack ( 1).
Standardised protocol for in vitro propagation of red banana, quintal nendran, orchid, anthurium, jack, brahmi, chethi koduveli, belippoovu, shankupushpam, kareelanchi, koovalam; in vitro mutagenesis in orchids, and modified protocol for in vitro multiplication of black pepper.
Established polyclonal progeny orchard for jack and mango at College of Agriculture, Vellayani.
Developed database of traditional mango varieties of Kerala and germplasm of cashew maintained at Cashew Research Station, Madakkathara.
Located resistant gene donors for major pests and diseases of rice from traditional rice varieties through molecular markers.

Crop Production & Post- Harvest Technology

• Identified two microorganisms involved in reducing the retting  period of white pepper and the bleaching agents for imparting  colour.
• Identified bee foraging plants, predators/pests of stingless bees in Kerala and safer pesticides to honey bees against pests of melon.
• Standardized agro techniques for the cultivation of yard long bean, mango ginger. mulberry, heliconia, anthurium, forage crops, organic bhindi, organic cowpea, organic amaranthus, organic banana using double sucker, terrace cultivation of major vegetables and optimized intercropping of fodder crops in coconut garden.
• Developed homestead models ideal for Southern Zone of Kerala.         
• Identified arrow root as a remunerative intercrop in the homesteads of Kerala and fabricated machine for the extraction of starch from arrow root.
• Characterized, re domesticated and popularized true kasthuri turmeric.
• Identified suitable medicinal plants for intercropping in oil palm plantations.
• Standardized the cultivation technology of milky mushroom and medicinal mushrooms, Ganoderma lucidum and Auricularia auriculae on sawdust, low cost technology of pest control in mushroom cropping rooms and technique of growing mushroom in used mineral water bottles .
• Developed and commercialized biocontrol agents such as Pseudomonas, Trichoderma and biofertilizers like Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Rhizobium, Phosphorus solubilizers, K solubilizer and  microbial technology for house hold waste management.
• Standardized the techniques for vermicomposting, vermiwash collection, production of enriched vermicompost, mineral enriched compost and developed new technology for fast conversion of biodegradable wastes to manure.
• Developed database on soil fertility parameters in Kerala.
• Developed adhoc recommendation for micronutrient fertilizers and formulated a micronutrient fertilizer mixture suitable for banana variety nendran.
• Developed two long hand weeders for upland paddy
• Standardized integrated nutrient supply system for rice-rice- fallow cropping system, assessed the performance of hybrid rice in Southern Kerala by adopting site specific  nutrient management and identified suitable rice based cropping system for Southern Kerala
• Developed package of practices for terrace cultivation of major vegetables
• Dissemination of biweekly Agrometerological advisory bulletins  to government departments and farmers through SMS of Southern Kerala
• Substitution of  50 to 75 per cent of K requirement of coconut palm and 50 per cent of K requirement  of cassava with common salt.
• Recommended bioremediation of organic contaminants in  rice based wetland ecosystems of   Kuttanad.
• Characterized soil and developed resource management of acid soil region for increasing productivity.
• Developed Hi- Tech management technologies for apiculture and meliponiculture.
• Standardized the agro techniques for sericulture.
• Recommended macronutrients in package of practices @ 0.6 kg N, 0.23 kg P205 and 0.90 kg K20 per palm/year for coconut in red loam soils
• Recommended 7.5 x 7.5 m as optimum spacing for intercropping in coconut plantations in red loam soils.
• Established the superiority  of  WCT x COD in red loam soils.
• Identified Potassium as most important nutrient followed by Mn¸ N, Cl and Zn in integrated system in coconut.
• Documented diverse cropping systems in different agro ecological units of  Kerala.
• Developed value added products in coconut, jack, cashew, tuber crops, flax seed, underexploited fruit crops, honey and mushroom.

Technology Developed for Crop Protection

• Developed new  chemical recommendations for the control of sucking pests of chilli, brinjal, bhindi, pod borer of pulses, shoot and fruit borer of cucurbits and bhindi, caterpillar pests of cucurbits, coconut eriophid mite and coconut coreid bug infestation; diseases like fusarium wilt, root rot and web blight of cow pea, powdery and downy mildew of cucurbits and leaf spot  of bhindi
• Developed organic management for the leaf blight of amaranthus, anthurium, fusarium wilt, root rot and web blight of cowpea, powdery and downy mildew of cucurbits, leaf  spot of bhindi and rhizome rot of ginger; rhizome weevil of banana and chemical control of bacterial wilt of chilli and leaf rot of coconut.
• Developed a comprehensive management package for the control of rice pests, eriophyid mite, coreid bug in coconut and fruit flies in cucurbits and mango.
• Formulated and released Fusarium pallidoroseum for the control of cowpea aphid.
• Developed package of practices recommendations for the management of nematodes infesting rice, bhindi, brinjal, cowpea, banana, ginger, pepper, kacholam, thippali and koduveli.
• Standardised mass multiplication technology for Beauveria bassiana, Metarrhizium anisopliae, Lecanicillium lecanii, Paecilomyces lilacinus and Bacillus macerans for the different pests infesting crops.
• Generated residue data for pesticide molecules and monitored pesticide residue for most of the major edible commodities and major ecosystems of Kerala.
• Developed protocol for the identification of virus diseases in banana, pepper, vanilla, orchid and anthurium.
• Developed technologies for ecofriendly management of water hyacinth in water bodies.

Transfer of Technology

• Protocols for in vitro propagation of red banana, orchids and anthurium to Biotechnology and Model  Floriculture Centre and Mithranikethan for commercialization
• Technology for mass multiplication of the fungal pathogen Fusarium pallidoroseum to State
• Biocontrol Laboratory for commercial exploitation.
• Microbial inoculant technology ( biofertilisers and biocontrol agents) to four government instituitions, nine KAU centres, nineteen private companies and two NGOs.
• Protocol for virus indexing of banana to Biotechnology and Model Floriculture Centre and two KAU centres.
• Developed and installed Agri Kiosk across the State to facilitate farm information  dissemination process.
• Formula for a product to remove the pesticide residues from vegetables and fruits to twenty five firms
• Training to stake holders for transferring various technologies developed.
• Farm trials, adaptive trials and frontline demonstrations for validation of research results.