Germplasm utilization

Arecanut

Released arecanut varieties are: Mangala, Sumangala, Sreemangala and Mohitnagar

A dwarfing gene identified in Hirehalli dwarf is being used in breeding programme

The institute conserves 140 accessions of arecanut

  Cocoa

• Two prominent types cocoa identified are: Forastero and Criollo. 
• The soft wood grafting technique for cocoa was standardized.
• and 137 accessions of cocoa.

Resistance breeding

Breeding programmes to evolve varieties/hybrids that are tolerant/ resistant to root (wilt) disease of coconut and yellow leaf disease of arecanut are being carried out. This involves identification of disease free palms in hotspot areas (i.e., Heavily disease affected regions) and production of seedlings following controlled pollination. As a part of the  root (wilt) disease resistance breeding programme, several disease free palms of West Coast Tall, Chowgaht Green Dwarf, and Malayan Green Dwarf identified in the districts of Alappuzha, Kollam, Pthanamthitta and Kottayam (of Kerala State) are being utilized for production of seedlings.

• Coconut zygotic embryo culture protocol for germplasm collection and exchange. 

Click here for further details on the Biotechnology protocols developed at CPCRI

Exotic coconut germplasm  collected by means of CPCRI protocol of embryo culture and planted at ICGSA, CPCRI(RC), Kidu

• Tissue culture of arecanut for mass multiplication of Yellow Leaf Disease resistance palms.

• Tissue culture of coconut  using plumular tissues  for mass multiplication of hybrid/elite types.

• Cryopreservation of coconut zygotic embryos for long term in vitro conservation of germplasm.

• Tissue culture of  oil palm &  Embryo rescue in pisifera oil palm.

• Molecular markers viz. RFLP, RAPD, SSr are being used for germplasm characterization.

• Three putative DAF markers were identified to have association with coconut trees that are resistant to root (wilt) disease.