Overview
The Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) is an agricultural research institute located in Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It functions under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the apex body for coordinating, guiding, and managing agricultural research and education in the country. CTCRI is the premier institution in India dedicated to research on tropical tuber crops such as cassava, sweet potato, yams, aroids (taro, tannia, elephant foot yam), and other minor tuber crops.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Central Tuber Crops Research Institute |
| Abbreviation | CTCRI |
| Type | Agricultural research institute |
| Parent body | Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) |
| Headquarters | Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala |
| Country | India |
| Field of research | Tropical tuber crops |
Background
Tuber crops occupy an important place in Indian agriculture, particularly as sources of carbohydrate, starch, and food security in tribal and rainfed regions. Recognising the need for systematic research on these crops, the Government of India, through ICAR, established a dedicated institute to undertake basic, strategic, and applied research on tropical tuber crops. CTCRI's mandate includes germplasm conservation, crop improvement, agronomic management, post-harvest processing, value addition, and extension to farming communities.
Research and activities
The institute carries out research and development across several thematic areas relating to tropical tuber crops:
- Crop improvement: breeding of improved varieties of cassava, sweet potato, yams, and aroids with traits such as higher yield, pest and disease resistance, and improved nutritional quality.
- Germplasm conservation: maintenance of a national repository of tuber crop genetic resources, including field gene banks and in vitro conservation.
- Crop production and protection: agronomy, soil and water management, integrated pest and disease management for tuber crops.
- Post-harvest technology: processing technologies for starch, flour, fried products, and industrial applications of cassava and other tubers.
- Biotechnology: tissue culture, molecular characterisation, and genetic improvement of tuber crops.
- Extension and outreach: training programmes, frontline demonstrations, and technology transfer through the Krishi Vigyan Kendra system and farmer engagement.
Regional station
In addition to its headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram, CTCRI operates a Regional Centre at Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The regional centre focuses on research relevant to the agro-climatic conditions of eastern India, where tuber crops play an important role in the diet and livelihood of tribal and rural populations.
Education and training
CTCRI offers postgraduate and doctoral research opportunities in collaboration with recognised universities, and serves as a guide centre for students working on tuber crop sciences. The institute also conducts short-term training courses, workshops, and capacity-building programmes for farmers, entrepreneurs, extension officers, and scientists from India and other tuber-growing countries.
Significance
CTCRI plays a key role in supporting food and nutritional security through tuber crops, particularly in marginal and rainfed regions. Its research has contributed to the release of improved varieties of cassava, sweet potato, elephant foot yam, taro, and yams that are cultivated by farmers in different parts of India. The institute also supports industrial use of tuber crops through the development of starch-based products, biofortified varieties, and value-added processed foods.
Related topics
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research
- Cassava
- Sweet Potato
- Yam
- Agriculture in India
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Krishi Vigyan Kendra
References
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research, official institutional listings.
- Wikidata entry: Q17151758.