Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham signs agreement with ICAR on coconut farming initiatives

NEW DELHI: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham announced signing of agreements with the Parachute Kalparvriksha Foundation (PKF) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for coconut farming initiative. This collaborative effort will be led by the Amrita Coconut Research and Development (ACORD) centre, a research facility at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

This collaboration aims towards advancing coconut farming practices and improving the livelihoods of farmers and climbers through cutting-edge research and innovative techniques.

Student training and high-quality postgraduate research projects will be part of this collaborative initiative. PKF and ICAR-CPCRI will conduct extensive research on crop enhancement, production, protection, physiological, biochemical, post-harvest technologies, as well as social sciences.

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The Amrita Coconut Research and Development Centre will contribute academic expertise and latest technologies such as robotics, AI, machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), drones, biotechnology, and various aspects of coconut farming such as sapling planting, inspection, tree maintenance, and monitoring, harvesting automation, and disease identification.

Rajesh Kannan Megalingam, ACORD, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham said “ACORD is committed to pushing the boundaries of coconut research and development, and these partnerships with PKF and ICAR aim to amplify their impact. This will allow us to harness the power of innovation and cutting-edge technologies to drive positive change in coconut farming. Together, we are committed to improving the lives of farmers and climbers, advancing agricultural practices, and redefining the future of this vital industry."

The PKF is a non-profit organisation committed to improving farmer welfare by increasing the yield of agriculture.