KERALA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
Proposal for
STRENGTHENING OF TISSUE CULTURE LAB AND
AUGMENTING THE PRODUCTION OF BANANA AND
ORNAMENTAL PLANTS
Submitted to
State Horticulture Mission – Kerala,
Sunny Dale, Mead's Lane, Palayam Thiruvananthapuram - 695034
Phone: (0471) - 2330856, Tele-fax: (0471) - 2330857
Dr. Sheena. A (Principal Investigator) Dr. Viji. M.M (Co-PI)
Assistant Professor Professor and Head
Instructional Farm Department of Plant Physiology
College of Agriculture College of Agriculture
Vellayani Vellayani
Dr. T. Sajitha Rani (Co-PI) Safeer.M.M (Co-PI)
Professor and Head Assistant Professor
Instructional Farm Instructional Farm
College of Agriculture College of Agriculture
Vellayani Vellayani
APPLICATION FORM FOR AVAILING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE UNDER MIDH
SCHEME
1. Name of the applicant- Dr. Sheena. A
2. Address of the applicant with contact details Assistant Professor (Horticulture)
Instructional Farm
College of Agriculture
Vellayani, PIN 695522
Email : sheena.a@kau.in
Ph. 0471-2383573, Mob 9497453663
3. Aadhaar number of the applicant- 5976 9925 4507
4. Category of the applicant- Government –University
5. Component for which assistance is applied Strengthening of existing Tissue culture
units
6. Details of the project
Title of the project- Strengthening of tissue culture lab and augmenting the production
of banana and ornamental plants
Objectives:
1) Renovation of the existing tissue culture lab
2) Enhancing the production and supply of TC banana and ornamental plants
Project cost: Rs 19,97,940/- (Rupees Nineteen lakhs ninety-seven thousand
nine hundred and forty only)
Details of availability of land- Available
Location of the project area (general area/hilly area/tribal area) - General area
Details of financing the project –whether credit linked or not-: No
Time frame for completion of the project: One year
Jurisdiction of the Panchayat/Krishibhavan: Kalliyoor
Expected beneficiaries of the project: Farmers of Kerala
7. Scientists involved
Principal Investigator : Dr. Sheena. A
Assistant Professor (Horticulture)
Instructional farm
Vellayani, P. O., Thiruvananthapuram
PIN- 695 522
Email : sheena.a@kau.in
Ph. 0471-2383573, Mob 9497453663
Co- Principal Investigators :
1. Dr. Viji. M. M
Professor and Head
Dept. of Plant Physiology
College of Agriculture
Vellayani, PIN 695522
2. Dr. T. Sajitha Rani
Professor and Head
Instructional Farm
College of Agriculture
Vellayani, PIN 695522
3. Safeer. M.M
Assistant Professor (Plant Pathology)
Instructional Farm
College of Agriculture
Vellayani, PIN 695522
Strengthening of tissue culture lab and augmenting the production of banana and
ornamental plants
Background
The Agricultural College Farm was established in 1955 along with the starting of College of
Agriculture. It attained the status of Instructional Farm along with the formation of Kerala
Agricultural University in 1972. Instructional Farm, Vellayani is a major production centre
which undertakes distribution of good quality seeds, seedlings, and other planting materials to
farmers of south Kerala.
Instructional farm maintains a vast germplasm of ornamental plants like orchids, anthurium,
foliage plants, banana etc. These plants have slow propagation rates but are of high demand.
Conventional vegetative propagation practices followed in the farm is not sufficient to meet
the demand of planting materials. To enhance the production of planting materials of
ornamental plants and banana, tissue culture was started in the farm on a trial basis utilizing
the facilities in the TC lab at Department of Plant Physiology. The existing lab has a culture
room of 855 m2 and preparation room of 840 m2 area. But it lacks major infrastructure
required for tissue culture.
Quality seeds and planting materials are the most important vital input in Agriculture.
Demand for seeds and planting materials is increasing day by day as our population is
expanding exponentially and is further increasing after the covid pandemic. Moreover,
Instructional Farm, Vellayani is a reliable source of seeds and planting material production in
Kerala under the Government sector. In this context, investments and efforts to strengthen the
tissue culture infrastructure in this station would be worthwhile for augmenting quality
planting material production.
Practical utility
Presently TC plants of new varieties of orchids, anthurium and foliage plants imported from
South -East Asian countries are sold by nurseries all over India. Domestic consumption of
TC plants is increasing as farmers are becoming more aware about the advantages of tissue
culture raised plants with improved yield and quality. In addition to this, tissue culture raised
plants being homogenous and uniform in flowering and harvesting is increasing their
popularity. Renovation of the existing TC lab will help to enhance the production of
virus/disease free planting materials of banana and ornamental plants in large quantities to
cater to the demand from the farming community. Round the year production and supply of
TC plants can be ensured through the implementation of this project.
In this context, strengthening of the existing TC lab is required for full-fledged production
and supply of TC plants to meet the demand of planting material production.
Budget
No. Item Quantity Budget (Rs.)
Non recurring
1. Horizontal Autoclave volume 100-150 L 1 No. 4,50,000
2. Refrigerator 190 L frost free 1 No. 25,000
3. Stabilizer for refrigerator 1 No. 2,500
4. Glass bead sterilizer 1 No. 10,000
5. Gas stove 1 No. 3,000
6. Glass jam bottles 3000 Nos. 1,35,000
7. Air conditioner 2 tonnes 2 Nos. 1,00,000
8. 5-Shelves Tissue Culture Rack- platform 6 Nos. 4,20,000
size 48 x 21 inch
9. Conical flask 250 ml 200 Nos. 34,000
10. Test tubes 50 ml 200 Nos. 10,000
11. Storage cupboard 1 No. 15,000
12. Single Distillation Unit 2.5 Liter 1 No. 65,000
13. High precision Electronic Balance 1 No. 60,000
14. Benchtop pH Meter 1 No. 16,000
15. Borosilicate Glass Bottle with Screw Cap 10 Nos. 9,000
Capacity - 500 ml and 1000 ml
16. Micropipettes 1 10, 100 ul 6 Nos. 15,000
17. Petri Dish (12, 15, 25 mm) 50 Nos. 12,000
18. Pressure Cooker 10, 20 L 2 Nos. 8,000
19. Microwave oven solo type 20 L 1 No. 6,000
20. Plastic trays, beakers, measuring 25,000
cylinders, PP covers, scalpel holders,
burner, Test tube stands, Test tube
baskets, Buckets, mugs, knives, scissors,
forceps, wash bottles, glass rod, spirit
lamp, coplin jar, table, chair etc.
21. Mother plants of new varieties 60,000
Recurring
1. MS medium PT 100-10X 1 L 70 No. 98,000
2. Gas cylinder 14.2 kg 1 No. 9,50
3. Gas cylinder-19 kg 2 Nos. 3,000
4. Aluminium foil, Cotton, Cling film, 10,000
Stapler pin No.10, Stapler pin 24/6,
Permanent marker, Tissue paper, Rubber
band , Spirit lamp wick, Liquid soap,
Labelling sticker, Labolene, Bavistin,
Hand wash, protrays etc.
5. Ethanol 10 L 10,000
6. Sodium hydroxide, Myo-inositol, 40,000
Formaldehyde, Potassium Permanganate,
Sodium hypochlorite, Mercuric chloride,
Cefotaxim , Benzyl adenine, Naphthelene
acetic acid, Indole 3 butric acetic acid,
Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), kinetin, Ethyl
methane sulphonate etc.
7. Perlite 100 kg 2,500
8. Other unforeseen expenses 20,000
9. Institutional charges 3,32,990
Total 19,97,940
Abstract of Expenditure
Sl. No. Item Amount (Rs.)
1 Non recurring expenses 1480500
2 Recurring expenses 184450
3 Institutional charges 3,32,990
Total 19,97,940
Rs 19,97,940/- (Rupees Nineteen lakhs ninety-seven thousand nine hundred and forty
only)
Work Plan
Time period Activities
1st six months Complete the formalities for the purchase of
equipment/glassware and other items.
Complete the establishment of the lab
2nd six months Full-fledged production of TC Ornamentals and Banana
Supply of TC plants to farmers through sales counter
Expected outcome
Production and supply of disease-free quality TC planting materials of ornamentals and
banana from Instructional Farm, Vellayani can be ensured. New varieties of ornamental
plants can be mass multiplied and supplied to farmers. Further, it would help demonstrating new
technology like micro- rhizome technique in ginger and turmeric etc. to the farming
community.
Instructional Farm, Vellayani Signature of PI
18/04/2022
Signature of Head of station
