The Coffee Board has appointed M Senthilkumar as the new Director of Research. He is currently a scientist at the Division of Vegetable Crops, ICAR- Indian Institute of Horticulture Research, Bengaluru.

According to an official note, Senthilkumar has been informed to assume charge as the Director of Research at Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI), Coffee Research station at Chikkamagaluru within 30 days.

Set up in 1925 near Balehonnur in the coffee heartland, CCRI spread over 130 acres is involved in research in disciplines of plant breeding, agronomy, agricultural chemistry and soil science, plant physiology, pathology, entomology and post-harvest technology.

Senthilkumar started his career with Coffee Board as a junior liaison officer and has served in the non-traditional growing regions of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha working on development, expansion and had implemented many tribal coffee projects. Kumar had also worked with CCRI and was involved with replantation. He joined IIHR in 2006 and became the Assistant Chief Technical officer in 2011 where he co-ordinated various research experiments.

Kumar joined the Agricultural Research Service in 2014 and has handled various technology projects relating to horticultural projects, including external projects supported by NABARD and RKVY. He has been a member of FAO committee, Govt of India for refining horticultural technologies for Indian states and published several research papers, popular articles, book chapters and books on Horticultural crops, and also guided post-graduate students. Kumar has also served as co-ordinator for state-level dissemination of IIHR technologies.

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