The Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) is an autonomous organization acting as a nodal agency for basic, strategic, anticipatory and applied research on various aspects of horticulture such as fruits, vegetable, ornamental, medicinal and aromatic plants and mushrooms in India.[1] The institute has its headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India and is a subsidiary of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. It recently has been ranked 1st for the combined years 2019-20 and 2020–21 by the ICAR.[2]
The IIHR, the first horticultural research institute in the country under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), was established on 5 September 1967 at New Delhi. Later, the base of IIHR was moved to Hesaraghatta located 25km (16mi) from Bangalore in Karnataka, on 1 February 1968, by merging the institute with National Horatorium of Govt. of Karnataka[1] which was the premises of the Fruit Research Station, Hesaraghatta established in 1938 by HC Javaraya.[3][4] The institute is spread over a land area of 263 hectares.[5] Dr. Gurubachan Singh Randhawa was the first founding director of the institute from 1967 to 1980.[6]
Mandate
The institute is mandated to:
Undertake basic and applied research for developing strategies to enhance productivity and utilization of tropical and sub-tropical horticulture crops viz., fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, medicinal and aromatic plants and mushrooms.
Serve as a repository of scientific information relevant to horticulture.
Act as a centre for training for up gradation of scientific manpower in modern technologies for horticulture production.
Collaborate with national and international agencies in achieving the above objectives.
Service profile - Agriculture Technology Information Center
The institute offers various services, consolidated under the umbrella of the Agriculture Technology Information Center (ATIC).
Farmers’ Advisory services: The service envisages identification of farmers' problems, analysis and advising suitable corrective measures.
Diagnostics: Diagnosis of diseases of various horticultural crops and advice on their control and management.
Supply of Video Films: Distribution of video films to the farmers and organizations for updating knowledge on modern technologies.
Supply of Publications: The institute has published many illustrated leaflets and bulletins for dissemination of crop information to the farmers. The publications are made in English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu.
Supply of Computer floppies and print outs: The institute has also made information available on floppy disks and as print-outs.
Nursery plants at display
Supply of seeds: Supply of seeds in packets are also undertaken by the institute.
Conduct teaching and training programs for development of human resources.
Use ICT in scientific information and knowledge.
Vegetable Crops
Vegetables
The vegetable Crops division carries out research, developing high yielding vegetable varieties / hybrids through crop improvement programmes with an emphasis on minimizing the cost. The division has five breeding laboratories and a production technology laboratory.
Mandate
Breeding for high yield, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses in vegetable crops
Breeding for improved quality attributes like extended shelf life, processing and nutritional qualities
Developing improved production technology, including organic farming in vegetable crops and off season vegetable production in open field and in poly house / protected cultivation.
The focus of the division is on development of new varieties of ornamental crops with a view to enhance export earning. The division also addresses issues like Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights.
Mandate
Carrying out basic and strategic research, for enhancing productivity and quality of ornamental crops
To act as a repository of genetic resources in ornamental crops
To undertake front line demonstration in new technologies evolved and to impart training for upgrading scientific knowledge of technical personnel involved in floriculture enterprises
The Plant Pathology division attends to basic and applied research for the management of diseases by microorganisms. Fully equipped laboratories are set up to combat the fungal, bacterial, viral, viroid and phytoplasma diseases of fruit crops, vegetable crops, ornamental and medicinal crops. The division also imparts training to agricultural extension officers and farmers.
Mandate
Division of Plant Pathology will continue to maintain the vigil to meet emerging challenges due to rapid crop diversification, increased farming, increased germplasm movement and climate change, which are bringing changes to host-pathogen dynamics leading to emergence and reemergence of plant pathogens in horticultural Crops.
Development of Diagnostics and to offer diagnostic services to SAUs, Farmers and Private seed and Tissue culture industries. Also to severe as a center for quarantine issues and phytosanitary certification.
Continue to provide solutions and research leads to the plant disease problems in horticultural crops, understand disease epidemiology and develop durable disease management strategies.
Develop rapid screening methods for identification of resistance sources and to use in breeding for disease resistance.
Continue our collaboration with international and national institutions for data on the distribution of plant diseases and the emergence of new diseases, essential to develop and/or modify existing methods of diagnosis for effective disease management strategies.
To provide training and services to farmers, extension agents, researchers in NARS and students to strengthen the human resource development specially for disease management in horticultural crops.
Agro/ lignocellulosic waste management through the production of edible and medicinal mushrooms.
Utilization of mushrooms for malnutrition management through the production of mushroom nutraceuticals.
Enhancing input efficiency of energy, water and manpower in mushroom production processes through mechanization.
Documentation and conservation of the indigenous macrofungi wealth of the country
Making mushroom production enterprise zero waste enterprise through the utilization of mushroom cultivation process wastes for various beneficial purposes
To provide support through training and quality spawn to entrepreneurs, institutions, NGOs, State departments and KVKs.
To carry out basic and strategic research for the management of pests of Horticultural crops (vegetables, fruits, ornamental, medicinal and aromatic crops).
To Develop Integrated Pest Management packages and Integrated Nematode Management packages by emphasizing ecofriendly pest management.
To conduct teaching and training programs for development of human resources in pest management.
To develop innovative products and commercialize the same through ITMU and public and private partnership (PPP).
To undertake basic and applied research on physiological and biochemical aspects of horticultural crops with particular reference to physiology of growth, development, yield and quality.
The division studies the nutrient requirement of horticultural crops and to develop suitable agro techniques for vegetable crops. It houses many laboratories viz., Soil Chemistry, Soil Salinity, Micronutrient, Leaf Analysis, Isotope, Water Management, Soil Microbiology, Microbiology and Pesticide Residue Laboratories.
Mandate
Carry out research on the nutrient requirement and management of different horticultural crops and to develop suitable INM packages for enhancing productivity.
Carry out the basic and strategic research to sustain soil health in horticultural ecosystems.
Development of leaf nutrient diagnostic norms and precision farming protocols for need based nutrient management.
Utilization of microbes for improvement of crop production and residue management
Pesticide residue management in horticultural crops and related environment.
Teaching, training and extension of services for students and farming community.
Social Sciences and Training
E and T division operated as an Advanced Training Center of the Directorate of Extension, Government of India (1997–2003) and was the Trainers Training Center of the Indian Council and Agricultural Research from 1976 to 1997. It looks after the training and extension activities of IIHR.
Mandate
To disseminate improved horticultural technologies through use of different extension methodologies.
To provide training to the farmers and horticultural officials in improved horticultural technologies.
To undertake research on socio-economic issues of horticultural farmers.
To conduct studies on gender mainstreaming in horticulture.
Post Harvest Technology and Agricultural Engineering
The division started as the Division of Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Microbiology and Postharvest Technology in 1978 which was later renamed as the Division of Postharvest Technology. The research work in the division focusses on handling and storage, processing, microbiology and cut flowers.
Objectives
To carry out basic and applied research on postharvest management and extension of self-life of fruits, vegetables, and ornamental crops.
To develop technologies/processes for value addition, product diversification and waste utilization of fruits, vegetables, and ornamental crops.
To carry out research to ensure microbiological quality and safety in fresh and processed products.
To conduct teaching and training for capacity building of scientific manpower and for development of human resources as well as to serve as repository of scientific information in the areas of postharvest horticulture.
To develop innovative products/processes and commercialize the same through ITMU and Public and Private Partnership (PPP).
Sections
Biotechnology The Division of Biotechnology is now merged with the Division of Basic Sciences, which focusses on research on Gene discovery, regeneration and transgenics, Molecular markers, Marker Assisted Selection, Functional Genomics, Bioinformatics and Endophytic molecular microbiology. Specific areas of work include:
development of molecular markers for okra and markers for root-stock identification in citrus
The division is involved in exploration, introduction, exchange, evaluation, characterization and conservation of horticultural plant growth regulators. IIHR claims to have introduced 22,080 accessions in fruits, vegetables, ornamentals & Medicinal and Aromatic Plant species. It also works on enrichment of germplasm from wild sources through exploration missions.
A Pollen Cryobank was established under the division for long term cryogenic preservation of crops which was featured in the Limca Book of Records in 2001. A Field Gene Bank (FGB) also works under the division and the division supports establishment FGBs for Mango, Guava and Jackfruit crops.
Mandate
To act as a regional center for acquisition and management of indigenous and exotic horticultural plant genetic resources (PGR).
To carry out related research and human resource development for sustainable growth of horticulture in the country.
Seed Science and Technology: to conduct research on seed production and quality aspects of horticultural crops with a mandate:
Seed Production
Seed Quality Testing and Storage
Seed Protection
Seed Physiology
Agricultural Engineering: to develop and maintain IIHR farm and to establish workshop for research and development in Farm Machinery with a mandate to:
Development of cultivation and processing machinery for horticultural crops.
Development cultivation machinery for horticultural crops inside greenhouses.
Development suitable greenhouses for cultivation of horticultural crops.
Imparting knowledge and training to the scientists, farmers, students and stake holders for use of horticultural machinery.
Medicinal Crops: to undertake research work is on the genetic improvement of commercially important medicinal and aromatic crops and standardization of agro-technology. It holds the mandate to:
Enrichment, documentation and Conservation of diversity in medicinal Crops.
CHES Bhubaneshwar is located at Bhubaneswar, Odisha and conducts research on applied and strategic aspects of horticultural crops. It also develops sustainable technologies suitable for the farmers of eastern region of the country in general and the state of Odisha in particular.
CHES Hirehalli is located at Hirehalli, near Tumkur in Karanataka.
Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK)
There are two KVKs functioning under IIHR.
KVK Gonikoppal: This KVK is located at Virajpet taluk which is 50km away from Madikeri and 92km away from Mysore. It covers a total area of 17.5 hectares with office, laboratories, library and staff quarters and has demonstrations units like coffee based cropping system, Arecanut, Banana, Coorg mandarin, Papaya, Sapota, Guava, different vegetables, ployhouse, Piggery, Goatery and fodder block.
KVK Hirehalli: The KVK is located at Hirehalli, in Tumkur District, approximately 58km from Bangalore on the Bangalore-Poona National Highway (NH-4). The KVK extends to a total area of the Kendra is 16.24 hectares and has an office cum-laboratory building, library, staff quarters, polyhouses, shed nets, threshing yard, nursery and landscaping.
All India Coordinated Research Project on Fruits
The All India Coordinated Research Project on Fruits is a research program where the Central research institutes and the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) work as a team to find solutions to various problems related to a specific topic.[7] IIHR is the hosting central institute for All India Coordinated Research Project on Fruits[8]
Seed Portal
ICAR IIHR Seed Portal
The institute makes its seeds and planting materials through its exclusive ICAR-IIHR Seed Portal for public. It has also integrated with SBI YONO app.[9]
National Horticulture Fair
Every year since 2018, the institute is organizing National Horticulture Fair (NHF) under various themes for showcasing its technologies to the farmers and entrepreneurs. About 50,000 people had visited the fair in the year 2020 which was organized under the theme 'Horticulture: Making Farming an Enterprise'.[10] In 2021, NHF's theme was 'Horticulture: For Stand-up and Start-up India' and had a footfall of 56,000.[11] In the year 2022, the fair went online. However, the 2023's fair is under the theme, Innovative Horticulture for Self-Reliance and was from Feb 22–25, 2023. This year's NHF 2024 theme was "nextgen technology led horticulture for sustainable development" and it attracted about 70,000 visitors during March 5–7, 2024.[12]
Arka Samachar
Arka Samachar
For the benefit of the farmers and other stakeholders and also to share and showcase various latest horticultural production technologies, the institute brings out monthly program on its YouTube channel[11][13][14] in seven languages viz., Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Malayalam & Odia. The programme episodes will be made live every month on second Friday with the new content coinciding with the monthly horticultural operations in the country.
Scholarly societies
The institute houses two scholarly societies viz., Society for Promotion of Horticulture (SPH]) which publishes Journal of Horticultural Sciences (JHS) and Association for Advancement for Pest Management of Horticultural Ecosystems (AAPMHE) which publishes Pest Management In Horticultural Ecosystems (PMHE) peer-reviewed journals to communicate the latest research outputs publicly in open access mode.
Facilities
Food Safety Referral LaboratoryIn addition to dedicated Food Safety Referral Laboratory, 65 purpose oriented laboratories with equipment like electron microscope, ultra centrifuge, HPLC, GLC, LC counter etc.
Infrastructure facilities such as a series of poly houses and net houses, growth chambers, mist chambers, cold storage facilities, gene bank, local area network with video conferencing facilities, Seed processing and nursery units.
Plant Phenomics FacilityPlant phenomics facility
Modern library
Conference hall
Auditorium
Training hostel
The campus also hosts other amenities like Bank, Hospital and staff quarters.
Achievements
IIHR is credited with the development of 170 varieties and hybrids of horticultural crops and many sustainable production, protection and post harvest management technologies.
Fruit Crops: Three varieties in papaya, five hybrids in mango, three varieties in guava, five hybrids in grapes, one variety each in pomegranate, annona, ber and passion fruit. IIHR has released a high yielding pink fleshed Arka Prabhat papaya hybrid,[15][16]Arka Kiran, a red fleshed hybrid guava[17][18] and Arka Sahan, a hybrid of annona[19][20] with large globules and less seeds.
Vegetable Crops: The institute has developed and released 60 high yielding open pollinated varieties and 15 F1 hybrids in 24 vegetable crops resistant to pests and diseases for commercial cultivation. Some of them are:
Arka Manik of Watermelon[21] – triple resistant to pests and diseases
Arka Anamika in okra resistant to Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus.[22]
Arka Lalima and Arka Kirthima, high yielding onion hybrids based on male sterility.[30]
Ornamental Crops: IIHR has evolved improved varieties of gladiolus, chrysanthemum, bougainvillea, hibiscus, tube rose, rose, China aster, carnation, gerbera and crossandra. They have also developed China aster varieties such as Poornima, Kamini, Vilet cushion and Shashank and tube rose cultivars like Shringar, Suvasini, Prajwal and Vibahv and a crossandra variety by name Arka Ambara.[17]
Mushrooms: IIHR is credited with the development of a spore less mutant of oyster mushroom, milky mushroom, Jews ear mushroom and a medicinal mushroom.[31]
Production Technology: Some of the achievements of IIHR in the field of production technology are:
Standardization of high density planting of bananas and pineapple.
Grape root dog ridge, a new practice in dry land grape cultivation.[32]
Standardization of integrated water and nutrient management schedules like drip irrigation, fertigation, application of fertilizer in the active root feeding zone.
Standardization of technology for foliar nutrition of micro nutrients and developed nutrients like mango special,[33] banana special,[34] citrus special[33] and vegetable special.[33]
Curative efforts against the causative factors for occurrence of Spongy tissue, a major problem in mango.
Plant Protection: Plant protection technologies standardized or developed by IIHR are:
Pest management using trap crops like African marigold for control of tomato fruit borer.
Mustard for control of DBM in Cole crops.
Plant products like neem soap and pongamia soap for control of major pests.
Bio-control agents and micro organisms like Trichoderma, Pseudonymous fluorescence, Paecilomyces lilacinus etc. for control of soil borne diseases and nematodes.
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