Now, tissue culture of high quality date palms. Yes, you read it right. Gujarat’s Anand Agriculture University (AAU) has standardised the process of micro-propagation of date palm on a commercial scale, which will fetch farmers improved fruit yield and remuneration.
It’s a first of its kind as AAU has claimed it to be the only successful micro-propagation of date palms through tissue culture till date.
Its good news for farmers keen to grow palm trees because micro propagation will reduce the dependence on imports of Barhee variety of palm tree. Each sapling sourced from the Middle East for cultivation purpose costs as high as Rs 3,000 to 3,500.
Nearly 1,500 tissue culture-raised plants are kept in a greenhouse for growth and will soon be ready for field planting. The fruits from a cloned tree are expected to fetch the farmer close to Rs 100 per kg. Such tree variants take around four years for yield to start and the output gets established between six to eight years.
Based on media reports from various sources.
sundayfarmer 