- Tested and recommended many fruit crop varieties and hybrids. Recently recommended are CO-8 in papaya; Pant Chandra and Suvarna in mango; Balaji, Phule Sharbati and PDKV lime in acid lime; Phule Mosambi in sweet orange, ARI-516 in grapes, PKM-4 and PKM (Sa)-5 in sapota.
- Recommended the mango hybrid Mallika released from ICAR-IARI—it was found to be feasible in West Bengal and Karnataka region. PKM-3 sapota variety developed by Periyakulam centre (TNAU) has been recommended in Andhra Pradesh, while grapes hybrid ARI-516 developed by ARI, Pune, has been recommended for cultivation in Punjab.
- Standardised grafting techniques for jackfruit and mango.
- Recommended suitable root stocks for different purposes in crops such as guava, mango, grapes and Citrus.
- Optimised and recommended region-specific and variety-specific planting density for crops such as banana, Citrus, grapes, guava, papaya and sapota, besides recommending high-density planting and planting systems—for example, the double hedge row system of planting in guava, mango and litchi. In guava, ultra-high density of planting was also standardised.
- Recommended region-specific canopy management practices for increasing crop productivity in mango, litchi, grapes, guava and sapota.
- Suggested ways for rejuvenation of old and senile orchards of Citrus, guava and mango.
- Standardised region-specific inorganic nutrient dosage and ratios, including sources (organic and inorganic) for crops such as banana, Citrus, guava, papaya and sapota.
- Standardised and recommended Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) practice with the use of location-specific microbes as bio-fertilisers for reducing the fertiliser dosage to 25–50% while sustaining the productivity in crops such as banana, Citrus, grapes, guava, litchi, papaya and sapota.
- Standardised the irrigation schedule with drip irrigation and fertigation in crops such as banana, grapes, Citrus, papaya, guava and sapota.
- Optimised and recommended nutrient application dosage in crops such as Citrus, banana and mango.
- Optimised the foliar application of growth regulators and nutrient in fruits for regulating flowering and fruiting in acid lime, litchi and guava.
- Identified region-specific profitable intercrops for banana and Citrus orchards.
- Assessed the PHL in banana and mango at various stages of its handling in major hotspots.
- Recommended pest management schedules for controlling major insect pests and diseases that causes economic losses.
- Recommended integrated management strategies using botanicals and bio-agents, namely, Mallada boniensis for black fly in Citrus; Bacillus thuringiensis against lemon butterfly in Citrus; Verticillium lecanii against grapes mealy bug; Paecilomyces lilacinus and Pseudomonas fluorescens for nematodes in banana; Trichoderma viride, T. harzianum, Pseudomonas fluorescens for Phytophthora in Citrus; T. viride for wilt in guava; Pseudomonas fluorescens for nematodes/ Eumusae (Sigatoka) leaf spot in banana.
- Recommended the use of traps for the management of fruit fly in mango, Citrus and guava.
- Tested the effectiveness of neem products (neem oil/neem cake) against Citrus leaf miner, Citrus psylla, Citrus canker; pseudo-stem borer and rust thrips of banana and for the management of nematodes in banana and Citrus orchards.
- Facilitated the tribal communities in implementing the technologies of this project to enhance their farm profitability.
Impact of the Project on Research and Development
- Technology hub for end users
- Platform for wider exposure and interaction with scientists engaged in the project
- Good database for future use
Project Success Indicators
- Around 64 technologies were recommended and most of them were included in the Package of Practices of the SAUs.
- Approximately 5–10% of variety and 25–30% of agro-techniques have been covered in the mandate cropped area of the respective states.
- Around 38,00,000 planting materials were supplied centres under the ICAR-AICRP on Fruits.
- A total of 289 research papers, 54 book chapters, 252 popular articles, 424 extension folders and 116 technical bulletins were published during the last 10 years.
- Fourteen demonstrations or field days were organised
.