PM Modi to unveil CPCRI’s new coconut and cocoa varieties ‘Kalpa Shatabdi,’ ‘VTL CH2’ on August 11

Two coconut and two cocoa varieties from the Kasaragod-based Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) will be among the 109 crop varieties Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch on August 11.

During this occasion, two coconut varieties – ‘Kalpa Suvarna’ and ‘Kalpa Shatabdi’ — and two cocoa varieties – ‘VTL CH1’ and ‘VTL CH2’ — developed by CPCRI will be released.

Coconut

‘Kalpa Suvarna’ is a dwarf, high-yielding, dual-purpose coconut variety with green-coloured, oblong fruits, with sweet tender coconut water, and good-quality copra. This early flowering variety (30-36 months after planting) is suitable for processing for tender coconut water and copra production. The variety yields 108-130 nuts per palm per year under good management. CPCRI recommends this for cultivation in Kerala and Karnataka.

‘Kalpa Shatabdi’ is a tall, dual-purpose coconut variety with large fruits. It is suitable for copra and tender nut production. It bears greenish-yellow fruits with more volume (612 ml) of tender nut water.

According to CPCRI, this variety yields high copra content. The variety yields 105-148 nuts per palm per year under good management. The institute recommends this for cultivation in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Cocoa

‘VTL CH1’ is an early-bearing, stable, high-yielding cocoa hybrid with medium canopy, both under arecanut and coconut shades, and suitable for high-density planting.

‘VTL CH1’ 
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement 

According to CPCRI, this variety provides a dry bean yield of 1.5 – 2.5 kg per tree per year in a 15-18 square metre canopy. The institute recommends this variety for cultivation in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

‘VTL CH-2’
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement 

‘VTL CH-2’ is an early-bearing, high-yielding cocoa hybrid with black pod rot disease resistance. This variety is suitable under arecanut and coconut gardens. The institute says that the dry bean yield of this variety is 1.5-2.5 kg per tree per year in a 14-20 square metre canopy. CPCRI recommends this for cultivation in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.