Move to develop disease-resistant areca palms leaps forward
The Hindu
CPCRI collects inflorescence from three palms in plantations in Sampaje and Chembu villages
In continued initiative to develop an arecanut plant variety that will be resistant to Yellow Leaf Disease, the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) has now collected inflorescence from such arecanut palms that have withstood the disease, for developing tissue-cultured disease-resistant plants.
According to general secretary of Puttur-based All India Areca Growers Association Mahesh Puchchappady a team of scientists from the institute collected inflorescence from identified palms in areas affected by the disease in Sampaje and Chembu villages.
Inflorescence was collected from three palms in the arecanut plantations of Lainkaje Prabhakara and Madhava Nadubetta on Friday. CPCRI in Kasaragod of Kerala is planning to multiply these palms by inter-crossing between two disease-free palms and by tissue-culture techniques. It is the first stage of the project.