Remarkable achievements in the past…

  • Accreditation of the laboratories of UPASI TRI and Regional Centre, Coonoor by the National Accreditation Board for testing and calibration Laboratories (NABL), New Delhi
  • Establishment of Pesticide Residue Laboratory at TRI for research and analysis on pesticide residues and heavy metal in tea
  • Recognition of TRF by National Bureau for Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) as National Active Germplasm Site (NAGS) for tea
  • Establishment of a DUS (Distinction, Uniformity & Stability) Test Centre for tea at UPASI TRI
  • Recommendation on rejuvenation of old nursery plants by cleft grafting
  • Recommendation on raising Grevillea robusta plants in jumbo poly bags for easy establishment
  • Recommendation on one man and two men operated tea harvesters
  • A review of current recommendations on blister blight control
  • Categorisation UPASI clones and certain estate selections using molecular markers like RAPD and AFLP
  • Characterization and categorization of south Indian clones on the basis of catechin and its fractions
  • Characterization and documentation of 150 undescribed south Indian tea accessions
  • Comparative study on drum, floor and drum cum floor fermentation for CTC teas
  • Complete CDs encoding metalothionin like protein obtained from grey blight specific cDNA library, sequenced and submitted to NCBI data base
  • Constructed cDNA library from blister blight tolerant SMP-1
  • Constructed cDNA library, generated ESTs during banji shoot formation and related gene sequences submitted to NCBI data base.
  • Demonstration on mass multiplication of Trichoderma for field application in tea plantations to minimize the cost of production.
  • Determination of optimum temperature for fermentation and withering
  • Developed a cooling system for rotor vane and CTC rollers
  • Developed a protocol for Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated hairy root cultures in tea
  • Developed a protocol for somatic embryogenesis
  • Developed a user friendly microbial detection kit to visualize microbial contamination in the tea manufacturing machineries
  • Developed an accredited methodologies for quantification of heavy metals
  • Developed gas chromatography method for the quantification of caffeine in tea
  • Developed mass rearing technique for the major predators of RSM
  • Development of a solar hot air system for the processing unit
  • Development of cultural control method in shot hole borer and tea mosquito management
  • Documentation of economic threshold level for pest populations
  • Documentation of flavor profile of Nilgiri teas
  • Documentation of substrate specific catechin biosynthesis
  • Documented driving forces of photosynthesis dry matter partitioning
  • Documented the antioxidant potential of teas
  • Documented the possibility of reducing 50% of inorganic fertilizers from the existing recommendation when biofertilizers incorporated in seedling nursery under INM
  • Documented the eco-physiological impact on dry matter partitioning and productivity
  • Documented the field performance of somatic variants besides physiological/biochemical profiling
  • Documented the free radical scavenging activity of black tea with different additives
  • Documented the impact of trough load on withering and its impact on quality
  • Established the exogenous addition of enzymes (pectinase) during processing for quality improvement
  • Established the fertilizer use efficiency of placed and broadcasted rock phosphate with P-32
  • Established the possibility of reducing N and P fertilizers up to 25% in young and mature tea to achieve sustained yield under INM programme
  • Established the relationship of altered protein expression with chlorophyll fluorescence to screen drought tolerant tea germplasm
  • Established the utility of mill sanitizer, sanitrol in reducing microbial load in tea machineries
  • Established the utility of SCAR markers on genetic diversity studies of Exobasidium vexans
  • ESTs from blister and grey blight specific SSH libraries sequenced and analysed and 166 ESTs of blister and 174 ESTs of grey blight submitted to NCBI database ESTs from blister and grey blight specific SSH libraries sequenced and analysed and 166 ESTs of blister and 174 ESTs of grey blight submitted to NCBI database
  • Evaluated and confirmed the effect of native biocontrol agent (WPB 104, WPB 109 and NLB 12) against blister blight disease
  • Evaluated and documented the effect of Nativo 75 WG, Trichoderma, Pseudomonas and Bacillus consortia (contains five effective strains) where except Bacillus all others performed better against grey blight disease under field condition
  • Fabricated an instrument for the measurement of free flow bulk density of tea
  • Full length chitinase gene obtained by RACE reaction, sequenced and submitted to NCBI data base
  • Grafting of in vitro derived shoots on in vivo developed root stocks
  • Identified effective native strains of P. fumosoroseus, L. leccani and B. bassiana and commercialized wettable powder formulations against RSM, thrips and SHB management, respectively
  • Identified polypropylene film as tea chest liner
  • Identified superior strains of N fixing bacteria, Azospirillum and phosphate solubilizing bacteria from tea soils of southern India
  • Identified the synergistic effect of NAA on efficient absorption and utilization of foliar applied zinc sulphate
  • Identified the use of binders in the production of flavored teas
  • Identified trait specific biomarkers to evaluate undescribed tea accessions of germplasm collection
  • Identified trait specific marker for quality clones using RAPD
  • Influence of water quality on liquor parameters of teas
  • Initiative in carbon sequestration studies in tea plantations
  • Installation of flights in the existing fermenting drum for better fermentation during processing of tea
  • Introduction of popular Darjeeling and north Indian clones in the germplasm collection
  • Involved in documentation of AFLP fingerprinting of 1500 tea accessions
  • Isolated a total of 11 potential bacterial strains which have the capacity to degrade propargite, dicofol, fenpropathrin and propiconazole
  • Isolated differentially expressed genes using SSH and cDNA libraries for blister and grey blight infected plants.
  • Isolated full length gene encoding 1,3, β-glucanase from SA-6 leaf cDNA
  • Issuance of recommendatory notes on benefits of applied biofertilizers in tea plantations
  • Long term storage studies on shelf life of black teas
  • Microflora dynamics in tea factory environment was documented with respect to factory hygiene
  • Multiple regression equations to identify productive and quality clones
  • Multiple regression equation developed to predict cuppage and its correlation with water extract, bulk density and total liquor color
  • Participation in ISO ring test for quantification of quality attributes in tea samples for the standardization of methodologies
  • Patenting of microbial detection kit which relates to tea factory machinery hygiene
  • Periodical release of revised recommendations on soil health management
  • Physiological, biochemical and molecular tools based characterization of UPASI clones and estate selections for yield, quality and drought tolerance
  • Pioneered in experiment on external addition of oxygen during processing on quality of processed tea
  • Process optimization on withering, fermentation and drying
  • Protocol developed for micropropagation of tea clones
  • Protocol developed to determine the theanine and its characterization in tea
  • Protocol development in preparation of polyphenol enriched black tea
  • Purified lectin from edible sources and demonstrated its bio-efficacy against RSM
  • Recent release of recommendation on third generation PGRs for crop promotion in tea
  • Recommendation of ammonium salt of glyphosate for weed control in tea plantations
  • Recommendation on acidification of rock sulphate with citric acid by broadcasting
  • Recommendation on application of dolomitic lime based on soil pH, yield and rainfall
  • Recommendation on approach grafting technique
  • Recommendation on foliar application of di-ammonium phosphate
  • Recommendation on new plant spacing considering the mechanical harvesting in future
  • Recommendation on soil application of nitrogen and potassium based on nitrogen use efficiency
  • Recommendation on special foliar application for the fields under mechanization
  • Recommendation on the use of biocontrol agents for root disease control
  • Recommendation on the utility of hexaconazole in tea recovering from pruning
  • Recommendations of the control of root and stem diseases of tea
  • Recommendations of the usage of combination of triazoles and morpholine fungicides
  • Recommendations on the use of mancozeb and carbendazim for grey blight control
  • Recommendations on the use of propiconazole in young and mature tea
  • Regression models developed with biochemical and physiological attributes as a selection criteria in plant improvement programmes
  • Related the cut leaf in the harvest with quality parameters of CTC black tea
  • Release of a schedule for plant growth regulators (PGR), NK and antitranspirant application
  • Release of hexaconazole schedule for adoption in tea under plucking and young tea
  • Release of schedule on foliar application of NK to impart drought tolerance in mature and young tea
  • Release of TRF-l, a productive clone, introduction of TRF-2, a quality tea clone and TRF-3, a drought tolerant regional specific clone (suits to Koppa conditions) for commercial exploitation
  • Screened and characterized five efficient cellulose degrading bacterial strains to increase organic matter in tea soils
  • Sequencing and analysis of cDNA clones from grey blight specific cDNA library completed and 202 ESTs and four partial cDNA submitted to NCBI database
  • Signed a MoU with Karnataka Agrochemicals, Bangalore for commercialization of nitrogen fixers and phosphobacteria for the benefits of tea industry
  • Significance of day and night tea processing on quality was established
  • Soil application of magnesium sulphate depending on yield levels
  • Standardised and validated methodologies for determination of pesticide residues
  • Standardization of method for the external addition of lipid degrading enzymes during tea processing for the removal of “pacha” in CTC teas
  • Standardized the ideal combination of inorganic fertilizers and biofertilizers by minimizing the inorganic fertilizers to improve yield
  • Studied the chemical control and phylogenetic relationship against the isolates of Glomeralla, Hypoxylon and Macrophoma sp.
  • Studies on alternative shade trees, Melia dubia and Toona ciliata
  • Studies on quality evaluation of Anamallais CTC teas
  • Submission of data on deltamethrin, hexythiazox, hexaconazole, fenpyroximate, propiconazole and fenpropathrin residues to PFA for fixing MRL
  • Submission of residue data on ethion, quinalphos, chlorpyrifos, fenpropathrin, λ-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, hexaconazole and paraquat dichloride to IGG.JMPR for fixing MRL
  • Successful protocols for the production of transgenic tea plants
  • Suggested foliar application of potassium nitrate to reduce leaf leatheriness of continuously shear harvested fields
  • Suggestion on foliar application of magnesium sulphate
  • Survey and documentation of the natural enemy complex of tea pests in south India
  • Survey on iron particles in tea samples
  • Tested a wide range of organic, chemical fungicides and biocontrol agents against branch canker and wood rot pathogens under in vitro and documented effective strains, fungicides and botanicals
  • Transformation protocol developed using ANR and F3H genes to improve the catechin biosynthesis
  • Use of antitranspirants to impart drought tolerance
  • Use of azadirachtin formulations and other botanical insecticides for eriophyid mite control
  • Usefulness of dried stem cuttings of Montanoa and its volatiles in SHB management
  • User friendly computerized model developed to predict the incidence of blister blight disease