(i)  Cropping/farming systems

 (ii)  Nutritional and water management in plantation crops

(iii)  Organic farming technologies in plantation crops.

The project on cropping/farming system aims at maximizing the productivity of coconut and arecanut gardens by raising compatible crops with integrated nutrient management and by including livestock enterprises. Cropping systems suitable for different regions including North East India and Lakshadweep Islands are being evaluated in this project. Allelopathic studies in coconut based cropping systems were also initiated.

There are seven sub-projects on nutritional and water management Significant progress have achieved in soil and water conservation with bioengineering measures.

On organic farming, the emphasis is on recycling of plantation waste biomass with bioagents such as local Eudrilus sp. And dissemination of the technology by distribution of local earthworm species. Nutrient substitution with Glyricidia green manure and utilization of biofertilizers of nitrogen fixing bacteria and P-mobilizers as nutrient source in coconut cultivation are the other major areas of study. There is also a project on linear spectral reflectance model for identification of root(wilt) disease affected coconut palms using remote sensing and GIS.