Course

Syllabus

Practical

Study of planting material standards and quality parameters for coconut and arecanut seedlings, Nursery raising and polybag mixture preparation for cocoa and cashew, Vegetative propagation: bud grafting in cashew, patch budding/bud grafting in rubber, Study of tea nursery, VP (vegetative propagation) plant production, and clone selection, Study of coffee nursery raising and shade tree management, Field visit to observe planting systems, spacing, and layout in a plantation crop garden, Nutrient and water management practices: fertigation scheduling in coconut/arecanut, Canopy/crown management practices – deblading, deleafing, pruning demonstration, Identification of major pests and diseases and IPM/IDM practices in plantation crops, Copra making and coconut oil extraction (wet and dry method), Arecanut processing: chali and kalipak, Cocoa fermentation, drying, and quality evaluation of dry beans, Cashew apple processing (juice/feni) and cashew nut roasting/shelling, Tea manufacturing: withering, rolling, fermentation, and drying (visit to a tea factory/model unit), Coffee curing: wet and dry processing methods and cup quality basics, Rubber tapping demonstration and latex-to-sheet (RSS) processing, Preparation of value-added products from plantation crops (coconut/cocoa/cashew-based products), Grading, packaging, and labelling as per AGMARK/FSSAI/export quality standards, Visit to a plantation crop processing unit/cooperative society/export house, Study of supply chain components: procurement, storage, transport, and cold chain, Costing, market survey, and preparation of a business plan for a plantation crop enterprise.

Objectives

1. To impart hands-on skills in nursery raising, establishment, and production management of major plantation crops (coconut, arecanut, cocoa, cashew, oil palm, tea, coffee and rubber).

2. To train students in primary and value-added processing techniques of plantation crop produce.

3. To develop competency in grading, commercialisation, and supply chain management of plantation crop-based enterprises.

Course Outcome:

On completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Suggested Readings

1. Peter, K.V. 2002. Plantation Crops. National Book Trust, New Delhi.

2. Nair, K.P.P. 2010. The Agronomy and Economy of Important Tree Crops of the Developing World. Elsevier.

3. Sethuraj, M.R. and Mathew, N.M. 1992. Natural Rubber: Biology, Cultivation and Technology. Elsevier.

4. Wintgens, J.N. 2004. Coffee: Growing, Processing, Sustainable Production. Wiley-VCH.

5. ICAR. 2019. Handbook of Horticulture (2nd ed.). ICAR, New Delhi.

6. Wood, G.A.R. and Lass, R.A. 2001. Cocoa (4th ed.). Blackwell Science.

7. Thampan, P.K. 1981. Handbook on Coconut Palm. Oxford & IBH Publishing, New Delhi

8. Barua, D.N. 1989. Science and Practice in Tea Culture. Tea Research Association, Calcutta–Jorhat.