The Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) is an autonomous organization acting as a nodal agency for basic, strategic, anticipatory and applied research on various aspects of horticulture such as fruits, vegetable, ornamental, medicinal and aromatic plants and mushrooms in India.Indian Institute of Horticultural Research – Ivarakandapura The institute has its headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India and is a subsidiary of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. It recently has been ranked 1st for the combined years 2019-20 and 2020–21 by the ICAR.
History
The IIHR, the first horticultural research institute in the country under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), was established on 5 September 1967 at New Delhi. Later, the base of IIHR was moved to Hesaraghatta located from Bangalore in Karnataka, on 1 February 1968, by merging the institute with National Horatorium of Govt. of Karnataka which was the premises of the Fruit Research Station, Hesaraghatta established in 1938 by HC Javaraya. The institute is spread over a land area of 263 hectares.Institution | IIHR Dr. Gurcharan Singh Randhawa was the first founding director of the institute from 1967 to 1980.
Mandate The institute is mandated to : Undertake basic and applied research for developing strategies to enhance productivity and utilization of tropical and sub-tropical horticulture crops viz., fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, medicinal and aromatic plants and mushrooms. Serve as a repository of scientific information relevant to horticulture. Act as a centre for training for up gradation of scientific manpower in modern technologies for horticulture production. Collaborate with national and international agencies in achieving the above objectives.
Service profile - Agriculture Technology Information Center The institute offers various services, consolidated under the umbrella of the Agriculture Technology Information Center (ATIC).
Farmers’ Advisory services : The service envisages identification of farmers' problems, analysis and advising suitable corrective measures.
Diagnostics : Diagnosis of diseases of various horticultural crops and advice on their control and management.
Supply of Video Films : Distribution of video films to the farmers and organizations for updating knowledge on modern technologies.
Supply of Publications : The institute has published many illustrated leaflets and bulletins for dissemination of crop information to the farmers. The publications are made in English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu.
Supply of Computer floppies and print outs : The institute has also made information available on floppy disks and as print-outs.
Supply of seeds: Supply of seeds in packets are also undertaken by the institute.
Divisions Fruit Crops
The division deals with improvement of production technology of mango, grapes, pineapple, guava, papaya, pomegranate, ber, annona and citrus.
Mandate Carry out basic and strategic research, for enhancing productivity, quality and utility of fruit crops in tropical agro-climatic zones of India. Act as Repository of fruit genetic resources and their management. Transfer of technologies and study their impact. Conduct teaching and training programs for development of human resources. Use ICT in scientific information and knowledge.
Vegetable Crops
The vegetable Crops division carries out research, developing high yielding vegetable varieties / hybrids through crop improvement programmes with an emphasis on minimizing the cost. The division has five breeding laboratories and a production technology laboratory.
Mandate Breeding for high yield, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses in vegetable crops Breeding for improved quality attributes like extended shelf life, processing and nutritional qualities Developing improved production technology, including organic farming in vegetable crops and off season vegetable production in open field and in poly house / protected cultivation.
Flower and Medicinal Crops
The focus of the division is on development of new varieties of ornamental crops with a view to enhance export earning. The division also addresses issues like Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights.
Mandate Carrying out basic and strategic research, for enhancing productivity and quality of ornamental crops To act as a repository of genetic resources in ornamental crops To undertake front line demonstration in new technologies evolved and to impart training for upgrading scientific knowledge of technical personnel involved in floriculture enterprises
Crop Protection
The Plant Pathology division attends to basic and applied research for the management of diseases by microorganisms. Fully equipped laboratories are set up to combat the fungal, bacterial, viral, viroid and phytoplasma diseases of fruit crops, vegetable crops, ornamental and medicinal crops. The division also imparts training to agricultural extension officers and farmers.
Mandate Division of Plant Pathology will continue to maintain the vigil to meet emerging challenges due to rapid crop diversification, increased farming, increased germplasm movement and climate change, which are bringing changes to host-pathogen dynamics leading to emergence and reemergence of plant pathogens in horticultural Crops. Development of Diagnostics and to offer diagnostic services to SAUs, Farmers and Private seed and Tissue culture industries. Also to severe as a center for quarantine issues and phytosanitary certification. Continue to provide solutions and research leads to the plant disease problems in horticultural crops, understand disease epidemiology and develop durable disease management strategies. Develop rapid screening methods for identification of resistance sources and to use in breeding for disease resistance. Continue our collaboration with international and national institutions for data on the distribution of plant diseases and the emergence of new diseases, essential to develop and/or modify existing methods of diagnosis for effective disease management strategies. To provide training and services to farmers, extension agents, researchers in NARS and students to strengthen the human resource development specially for disease management in horticultural crops. Agro/ lignocellulosic waste management through the production of edible and medicinal mushrooms. Utilization of mushrooms for malnutrition management through the production of mushroom nutraceuticals. Enhancing input efficiency of energy, water and manpower in mushroom production processes through mechanization. Documentation and conservation of the indigenous macrofungi wealth of the country Making mushroom production enterprise zero waste enterprise through the utilization of mushroom cultivation process wastes for various beneficial purposes To provide support through training and quality spawn to entrepreneurs, institutions, NGOs, State departments and KVKs. To carry out basic and strategic research for the management of pests of Horticultural crops (vegetables, fruits, ornamental, medicinal and aromatic crops). To Develop Integrated Pest Management packages and Integrated Nematode Management packages by emphasizing ecofriendly pest management. To conduct teaching and training programs for development of human resources in pest management. To develop innovative products and commercialize the same through ITMU and public and private partnership (PPP).
Basic Sciences
The Division of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry is the arm of IIHR that deal with tissue culture, molecular biology, pesticide residue and food microbiology.
Mandate To undertake basic and applied research on physiological and biochemical aspects of horticultural crops with particular reference to physiology of growth, development, yield and quality. To assess the impact of climate change on crop productivity and quality.
Natural Resources
The division studies the nutrient requirement of horticultural crops and to develop suitable agro techniques for vegetable crops. It houses many laboratories viz., Soil Chemistry, Soil Salinity, Micronutrient, Leaf Analysis, Isotope, Water Management, Soil Microbiology, Microbiology and Pesticide Residue Laboratories.
Mandate Carry out research on the nutrient requirement and management of different horticultural crops and to develop suitable INM packages for enhancing productivity. Carry out the basic and strategic research to sustain soil health in horticultural ecosystems. Development of leaf nutrient diagnostic norms and precision farming protocols for need based nutrient management. Utilization of microbes for improvement of crop production and residue management Pesticide residue management in horticultural crops and related environment. Teaching, training and extension of services for students and farming community.
Social Sciences and Training E and T division operated as an Advanced Training Center of the Directorate of Extension, Government of India (1997–2003) and was the Trainers Training Center of the Indian Council and Agricultural Research from 1976 to 1997. It looks after the training and extension activities of IIHR.
Mandate To disseminate improved horticultural technologies through use of different extension methodologies. To provide training to the farmers and horticultural officials in improved horticultural technologies. To undertake research on socio-economic issues of horticultural farmers. To conduct studies on gender mainstreaming in horticulture.
Post Harvest Technology and Agricultural Engineering The division started as the Division of Fruit and Vegetable Processing, Microbiology and Postharvest Technology in 1978 which was later renamed as the Division of Postharvest Technology. The research work in the division focusses on handling and storage, processing, microbiology and cut flowers.
Objectives To carry out basic and applied research on postharvest management and extension of self-life of fruits, vegetables, and ornamental crops. To develop technologies/processes for value addition, product diversification and waste utilization of fruits, vegetables, and ornamental crops. To carry out research to ensure microbiological quality and safety in fresh and processed products. To conduct teaching and training for capacity building of scientific manpower and for development of human resources as well as to serve as repository of scientific information in the areas of postharvest horticulture. To develop innovative products/processes and commercialize the same through ITMU and Public and Private Partnership (PPP).
Sections Biotechnology The Division of Biotechnology is now merged with the Division of Basic Sciences, which focusses on research on Gene discovery, regeneration and transgenics, Molecular markers, Marker Assisted Selection, Functional Genomics, Bioinformatics and Endophytic molecular microbiology. Specific areas of work include: development of molecular markers for okra and markers for root-stock identification in citrus development of BT transgenic brinjal and tomato cloning of genes for fungal resistance and transgenic development development of embryogenic suspension of banana and GM banana for Fusarium wilt resistance development of GM tomato, papaya and watermelon for virus resistance development of GM tomato, papaya & watermelon for virus resistance elucidation of ubiquitous association of endophytic microorganisms in vivo and in vitro discovery of periplasmic bacteria in banana Plant Genetic Resources