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The regional station of the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) at Vittal in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka has produced around 1 lakh seedlings of different varieties of arecanut this year, according to a scientist.
Speaking at an online training programme on ‘Good cultivation practices in arecanut’, organised by the CPCRI’s regional station on Friday, Nagaraja NR, a scientist from the station, said that there is good demand for the different varieties of arecanut seedlings.
To meet the requirement of farmers, the regional station has produced around 1 lakh seedlings during the year.
Referring to the different varieties, he said ‘Shata Mangala’ variety was released in 2016. This particular variety is suitable for areas taking up red and white arecanut cultivation. Around 35,000 seedlings of this variety were produced this year. About 400-500 farmers procured this variety from the regional station for cultivation in their farms, he said.
The station has also released two hybrid-dwarf varieties of arecanut. Though the yield is less in these varieties when compared to other types of arecanut, these dwarf varieties help tackle the issues related to labour problems, he said.
To a query by a participant on the drought-resistant varieties, he said arecanut plant requires a fair amount of water for cultivation. However, the institute is researching to develop such a variety, he said.
Stressing the need for arecanut-based multi-cropping system, he said black pepper, cocoa and banana can be taken up as intercrops in arecanut plantations in coastal Karnataka and Kerala. Farmers in plain areas of Karnataka can consider the cultivation of black pepper and cocoa or banana and lemon as intercrops in their plantations.
Growers in the northern part of West Bengal can consider either banana or lemon as an intercrop along with arecanut and black pepper in their plantations.
Farmers in Waynad district of Kerala and Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka can consider cardamom as an intercrop with arecanut, he said.
Ravi Bhat, Head (Crop Production), CPCRI, Kasaragod; and CT Jose, Head of Vittal Research Station of CPCRI, spoke on occasion.
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