Bhubaneswar: On the occasion of World Coconut Day, the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) has developed ‘Konark’, the state’s first indigenous hybrid coconut variety after nearly 18 years of research.
The hybrid has been developed by crossing the Sakhigopal and Gangabondam varieties. According to OUAT, ‘Konark’ is expected to produce more than 150 coconuts annually and perform well under conditions of relatively lower water availability.
The variety has been named ‘Konark’ after OUAT’s research centre and is currently awaiting government approval before being made available for wider cultivation.
The new hybrid is expected to offer farmers opportunities to earn income from both mature coconuts and tender coconuts, potentially improving the economic returns from coconut cultivation.
OUAT is also expanding its coconut research programme. The university has planted several indigenous and international coconut varieties across 10 acres to study their characteristics, develop future hybrids and help address the shortage of quality planting material.
The development of ‘Konark’ is being seen as an important milestone for coconut research in Odisha and could provide farmers with a high-yielding variety suited to local growing conditions.
-OdishaAge
