It gradually dawned that Devarshola was not centrally located as it was situated at the remote end of tea areas in southern India. The UPASI took a decision to shift the Tea Research Station to the more centrally located Anamallais where the UPASI purchased 156.30 acres of land was bought from the Government Cinchona Plantations. In 1961 a small 3-acre block was planted with tea. Simultaneously, construction of lab buildings and quarters commenced. From 1964 to 1966, all the Research Divisions were shifted to the new Research station and by then 30 acres were planted mostly with clonal material selected by the Scientific Department.
STARTING OF ADVISORY
CENTRES:
A Tea Research Sub-Station was set up in Vandiperiyar (Kerala) in 1964. Another advisory centre was opened in the Munnar in 1968. Two other units soon followed in 1971, with centres springing up in the Nilgiris and Wynaad. The fifth advisory centre was opened in 1980 for Nilgiri - Wynaad at Gudalur. With the opening of a unit in 1987, in Karnataka all the tea districts in the south are being covered by the UPASI Tea Research Foundation.
FORMATION
OF UPASI KVK:
UPASI set up a Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in 1983 under the auspices of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), with the main objective of promoting the cultivation of tea specific to the hilly, rural areas of the Nilgiris, imparting training on scientific crop husbandry techniques and allied subjects to the small farmers, estate workers and economically weaker sections.
THE
TEA RESEARCH INSTITUTE:
The UPASI Tea Research Institute (TRI) is located near the Nirar Dam in Valparai, Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu. The Institute is 120 km from Coimbatore city, 80 km from Pollachi and 12 km from Valparai town. Situated at an altitude of 1050 m above MSL, the average annual rainfall in the area is 400 cm. The maximum and minimum temperatures vary from 30°C to 12°C and relative humidity from 90 to 50 per cent. Occasionally temperatures drop even to 7°C or 6°C. Out of the 63.3 ha available to the Tea Experimental Farm, 36 ha are planted, mostly with clonal teas. Additionally, the Tea Board has handed over 36.4 ha adjoining this area. Over 15 ha of this area has been planted with all available tea clones, camellia species and all other genotypes. A germplasm has been established and recognized as the 41st National active germplasm site for tea.
Ever since 1976 when Tea Board started funding the project on "Chemistry of tea clones", national research organizations like the ICAR, DBT, CSIR and NTRF have started providing funds towards time-bound research projects in the Institute. The Tea Board and the Commerce Ministry, through the five year plans, have assigned projects to TRI XIth five year plan projects currently are under way at the institute.
