'Bio-ethanol from cashew apple'

The Horticulture Research Station in Ullal has submitted a proposal to the  Horticulture University in Bagalkot to prepare bio-ethanol from cashew apple, said Station Head Dr Lakshman.

Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of cashew mela 2011, a cashew field day and training for the farmers at Horticulture Research Station at Ullal, he said the estimated cost of the project is Rs 3 lakh and the project period is three years. “Once the project is approved, an attempt will be made to find out which variety of the cashew apple can be used for bio-ethanol and what percentage alcohol is present in the cashew apple. The Station would require a distillation unit and fermenter for the preparation on bio-ethanol.”

Recommendation

Dr Lakshman said that Horticulture Research Station has also recommnded NDR2-1 variety of cashew to the coastal region after testing it for 10 years at the station. The size of the seed of NDR2-1 variety is good. One can get 21.4 kg yield from a tree.   He said the station has distributed about 60,000 seedlings to the growers during the year. In fact, there is great demand for Ullal 1 and 3 variety.  The station has already harvested 31 quintal of cashewnuts this year. “The harvest is good this year as the region received rains till December and we had sprayed urea to the plants. Moreover, mosquito disease was under control this year. Normally, the station gets 150 quintal cashewnuts in its 35 acre land,” he informed.