The third meeting of IXth Research Advisory Committee of ICAR- Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode was held on 27th and 28th July, 2022. The meeting was chaired by Dr. N. K. Krishnakumar, former DDG (Horticultural Science), ICAR, New Delhi. The members of the RAC committee included eminent scientists from different parts of the country like Dr. H.C. Bhattacharya, Dr. Jitendra Kumar, Dr. Umesh Srivastava, Dr. V.G. Malathi, Dr. V. C. Mathur, Dr. Vikramaditya Pandey, ADG (Horticulture) and IMC members, Mr. Jayachandran and Mr. Nanjundan Bhojan.
On the first day, Dr. N.K. Krishnakumar inaugurated an essential oil extraction unit installed at ICAR-IISR, Chelavoor campus, Kozhikode, Kerala. He also launched a web based application, IISR-eSOFT, a soil test based fertilizer recommendation for targeted yield of spices. Dr. Jitendra Kumar released food products like spice enriched finger millet cookies and ice-creams with finger millet as an ingredient flavored with ginger, turmeric and black pepper developed at Spice Processing Facility of ICAR-IISR.
The RAC committee reviewed the outcome of the research projects. Dr. C.K. Thankamani, Director, ICAR-IISR said that the recommendations suggested by the RAC members will be taken up to develop need-based solutions for the problems faced by farming communities.
The committee members also visited ICAR-IISR Experimental Farm and KVK located at Peruvannamuzhi, Kozhikode, Kerala. During the visit to the Experimental Fields / Labs, the Committee Members appreciated the activities of the Institute. The RAC team also felicitated Ms. Bindhu Joseph, a young women farmer from Kozhikode who recently won the ICAR - Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Krishi Puruskar.
