• Development of stress tolerant cultivars resistant to water and salinity stress

• Development of an in vitro gene bank of endangered plant species in the catchment area of water resources projects due to inundation

• Inverted Microscope with Camera & TV Projection Facility

• Refrigerated Centrifuge

• Digital Microbalance Laminar Flow Hood

• Deep Freeze (- 85.0 0 C)

• Autoclave

• Hot Air Oven

• Table Top Platform Shaker

• Magnetic Stirrer with Hot Plate

• Inoculation Room with Laminar Air Flow Hood

• Tissue Culture Racks with Timer-controlled Lighting System

• Deep Freeze (-85 o C)

• Quartz Double Distillation Unit

• HiLoop Auto Sterilizer
  

1. Establishment of a Gene Bank for Rare/Endangered Species.

Objectives:

• Identification and enumeration of critically endangered species in the Western Ghats, especially those in proposed dam sites & their catchments

• Selection of species from hot spots for preservation

• Development of protocols for in vitro culture/cryopreservation of selected clones

• Establishment of a system for cryopreservation & multiplication of critically endangered species

B. In vitro Studies:

1. Studies on the Drought Tolerance of Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton. and Black Pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.) in vitro.

Objectives:

• To study the drought tolerance of Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton.) and Black Pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.) in vitro.

• To select drought tolerant clones from cultures

• To establish the cultures and multiply the seedlings of selected clones in culture

• To transplant and acclimatize the seedlings for establishment in the greenhouse and field conditions