The ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasaragod, is one of the premier horticulture research institutes under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Established in 1916, it began modestly as a Coconut Research Station under the former Madras Presidency.
Mandate crops of CPCRI are coconut, arecanut, cocoa and palmyrah. At present, India is highest producer of coconut and third in its cultivated area in the world. The country is first in area and production of arecanut in the world.
Organizational set up:
CPCRI has its headquarters at Kasaragod, Kerala (coconut & cocoa); Regional Stations, Kayamkulam, Kerala (palmyrah and pests & diseases of coconut) and Vittal, Karnataka (arecanut & cocoa); Research Centres, Kidu, Karnataka (genetic resources centre on coconut, arecanut and cocoa); Mohitnagar, West Bengal (coconut, arecanut & cocoa for Sub-Himalayan Terai Region); and Kahikuchi, Assam (catering to the development of coconut, arecanut and cocoa sector in NE India).
The research programmes of the institute are organized under five divisions viz. Crop Improvement, Crop Production, Crop Protection, Physiology, Biochemistry and Post Harvest Technology and Social Sciences. The Institute also holds the International Coconut Gene Bank for South Asia at Kidu in Karnataka. All India Coordinated Research Project on Plantation Crops, is operating in CPCRI, has 28 centres in 14 states. There are two Krishi Vigyan Kendras, one at Kasaragod and the other at Alappuzha in Kerala conducting agricultural extension activities.
This Institute offers higher education facilities on plantation crops to postgraduate students and research scholars under the ICAR , as well as incubation facilities for young entrepreneurs.
CPCRI has state-of-the-art laboratories, experimental fields, an international gene bank, germplasm, weather stations, high-precision equipment, and 4-star nurseries of coconut, arecanut, and cocoa, producing QR-coded seedlings.
CPCRI Headquarters is located at Kasaragod district of Kerala which lies in the heart of the major coconut growing areas of the country. CPCRI is 5 km away from Kasaragod and 51 kms away from Mangaluru on the National Highway 66. Nearest railway station is Kasaragod at about 5 km and the nearest airport is Mangaluru about 60 km. Geographically it is situated at 12.528 °N latitude and 74.969 °E longitude with an altitude of 10.7m above MSL.
Climate:
The climate of the district is classified as warm humid tropical. The average maximum temperature is 31.2 °C and the minimum temperature is 23.6 °C. The mean annual rainfall of the district is 3462 mm.
Soil:
The farm has 3 types of soils viz. red sandy loam, laterite and littoral sandy soil. Farm is divided into different blocks for experimental purposes.
A and B Blocks: Red sandy loam soil
C, D and G Blocks: Red sandy loam soil
E Block (KVK): Red sandy loam soil
F Block (Hill block): Laterite soil
J Block: Laterite and hard laterite outcrop
H and I blocks: Littoral sandy soil.
Area:
Presently, the headquarters is having a total of 71.17 hectare of land with coconut as main crop.
Director: Dr. K.B. Hebbar
Organogram
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