Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India has approved 49 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) till now, out of which three Centres of Excellence for horticultural crops have been approved on March 09, 2023.
Under MIDH, Centres of Excellence for horticultural crops are being established in various states through bilateral cooperation or research institutes. These CoEs serve as demonstration and training centres for the latest technologies in the field of horticulture. These CoEs also serve as sources of planting material for fruits and vegetable seedlings for protected cultivation and are used for transfer of technology and knowhow in diverse areas, viz., post-harvest management, irrigation and fertigation, plant protection, the introduction of new varieties and pollination among other related areas.
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The newly approved Centres of Excellence for horticultural crops are CoE for Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, Karnataka at experimental station, Hirehalli, Bengaluru; CoE for Mango and Vegetables under Indo-Israel Agriculture Project (IIAP) at Panikoili, Jajpur district, Odisha; and CoE for Vegetables and Flowers under Indo-Israel Agriculture Project at Government Agricultural Farm, Codar, Khandepar, Ponda, Goa.
CoE for Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) at Bengaluru, Karnataka
The vision of this Centre is to develop the latest production technology as per the international standard and off-season production and demonstration of these technologies for high-yield production. The Centre will aim to achieve self-sustenance in Kamlam fruit production, value addition and enhance the economic development of the farming community.
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The Centre of Excellence will focus to develop high-performance variety with improved yield, nutrient use efficiency, nutritional quality, tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses, standardisation of propagation techniques, distribution of quality planting material through a public participatory approach, development of a protocol for post-harvesting handling and storage to reduce post-harvest losses and promote export to distant markets, development of value-added products and processes for product diversification and higher revenue realisation, dissemination of developed technologies to the farmers and other stakeholders through training and field visits.
CoE for Mango and Vegetables at Jajpur, Odisha
The vision of the Centre is to generate knowledge in nursery management, cultivation practices, and the production of high-quality and large quantity of planting material for mango and vegetable crops. The Centre will also focus on the demonstration of new varieties, Israeli agro-technology in irrigation, fertigation and plant protection along with precision agriculture and post-harvest management technology. The CoE will prepare a training model based on the focused areas such as irrigation, fertigation, nursery, canopy and value chain for the benefit of farmers.
CoE for Vegetables and Flowers at Ponda, Goa
The Centre will focus on the demonstration of a high-tech nursery management system with advanced production technology through automated irrigation and fertigation system for the production of disease-free and healthy vegetable seedlings of improved varieties of vegetables and flowers suitable for Goa. The Centre will also strengthen infrastructure for the promotion of pre and post-harvest management of quality produce and develop protocols and guidelines tailored to the local conditions in the CoE and farmers’ fields as well.
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