A push to grow 'Bedakam coconut'

An innovative project to conserve and popularise Bedakam coconut, a superior local ecotype of coconut has been initiated as part of the decentralised planning by the local-self governments with the technical support of the ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod.

Accordingly, a meeting was held at Bedadka, as part of the formation of the Farmers' Society for the promotion of Bedakam coconut.

'Bedakam coconut' is a local ecotype of coconut which is tall-growing and yields satisfactorily even under rain-fed situations and water-scarce areas. Even under low-input conditions, it gives a comparatively good yield.

Dr K Samsudeen, along with a team of scientists of ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod, has been collecting data on the characteristics and performance of this local coconut ecotype.

The major components of the scheme include facilitating the formation of a society of farmers cultivating 'Bedakam coconut', facilitate, registration of Bedakam coconut as a farmer variety under Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority (PPV&FRA), identification and documentation of mother palms of the 'Bedakam coconut' in farmers gardens, collection of seed nuts and raising nursery in selected locations in the gram panchayat and making available quality seedlings of the variety to distribute among the farmers, said Dr K Samsudeen.

Dr Ravi Bhat, Head Division of Crop Production, ICAR-CPCRI, inaugurated the meeting. In his inaugural address, Dr Ravi Bhat emphasised the need to conserve and utilise the superior genetic resources of the coconut available in farmers' gardens for the sustainable development of the coconut sector.

Advocate C Ramachandran, member, District Planning Committee, addressing the gathering, highlighted the role of the local self-governments and activities to be taken up by the farmers' society for implementing the scheme.

As part of the meeting, a field visit was also conducted to the selected coconut gardens of the farmers cultivating Bedakam coconut ecotype.