Infrastructure Development

  • Biotechnology laboratory was set up with minimum facilities to carry out micro propagation. Efforts are on to set up full  fledged laboratory very soon. 

  • Fencing of Complete farm area is being completed. 

  • Computer facility with internet is created. 

  • Old buildings are renovated and whole farm is fenced. 

  • An old Godown renovated and is presently used for seminars etc. 

  • Creation of an orchid sanctuary on 4 acres of farm land covered with different species of trees, for in situ conservation and study of orchids is in progress. 

  • One Green house with micro irrigation, heating and cooling facilities and two poly houses with micro irrigation have been constructed under the protect net project for protected cultivation of orchids and bulbous flowering plants. 

  • Two net houses and 4 low cost poly tunnels are constructed for maintaining ever increasing germplasm of the centre. 

  • Broadening of narrow terraces to appropriate size for conducting research experiments is being done 

  • Old buildings are renovated and whole farm is fenced. 

  • An old Godown is renovated and is presently used for seminars etc. 

  • Creation of an orchid sanctuary on 4 acres of farm land covered with different species of trees, for in situ conservation and study of orchids is in progress. 

  • One Green house with micro irrigation, heating and cooling facilities and two poly houses with micro irrigation have been constructed under the protect net project for protected cultivation of orchids and bulbous flowering plants. 

  • Two low cost net houses and 6 poly tunnels were constructed for maintaining of ever increasing germplasm.  

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Poly House

ARIS Cell
Glass House

Biotechnology Lab

The centre is making steady progress in creating infrastructure facilities required to fulfill the mandate.

Laboratory

            There are no permanent laboratory buildings for the centre. The laboratories have been established in very old quarters handed over by the State Government. Tissue culture laboratory with bare minimum facilities has started functioning. Some of the basic equipments viz., Laminar air flow, Autoclaves, Incubators, Oven, Plant Growth Chamber, Seed Germinater, Freeze, Deep Freeze, Distillation unit, Deionizer, UV VIS Spectrophotometer, Balances, Microscope, Tissue culture racks, pH meter, Lux meter, and some other minor equipments have already been procured.  Some more equipments as per the requirements of the centre will be procured during this financial year.  Presently, laboratories are under two broad groups, viz., Crop Improvement and Crop Production.

Computer Cell / ARIS Cell

Agricultural Research Information Services
[ARIS] Cell


ARIS Cell :

  1. Internet connectivity with email facility  through VSAT.

  2. Red Hat Linux (V6.0) with Email / web hoisting & ftp server.

  3. Centralised Laser & color printing facility.

  4. Windows based 4 node Local Area Network (LAN).

  5. Presently, this facility is being used for word processing, statistical analysis, cataloguing and maintenance of relevant information, besides pay bill preparation and accounting.

Library

A small library has been established. About 200 books on important topics have already been procured. The centre has subscribed for Orchid journal published by Orchid Society of India.  It is in the process of subscription to the journals, viz., Orchids- published by American Orchid Society, Orchid Advocate- published by Cymbidium Society of America, and Australian Orchid Review.  Procurement of  CAB CDs and Sander’s list of orchid hybrids is also under process.

Farm

 The centre has 9.98 hectares of terraced land. The fencing of the farm has been done and broadening of the narrow terraces is in progress. One fibre glass house and two poly houses ( 180 square meter each), with micro-irrigation and temperature control system are constructed under Protectnet scheme. Another  net house has also been constructed for the maintenance of ever-increasing orchid germplasm, besides already existing two net houses. Two low cost poly tunnels using bamboo also constructed to study the suitability of such low cost structures for commercial cultivation of orchids.  Total 800 square meter area is under different types of structures.  Four acres of farml and covered with different species of trees is in the process of conversion to an Orchid sanctuary, where orchids will be maintained for preservation and study under natural condition. Shortage of water for regular supply to the laboratories and for protective irrigation in the field, especially during summer, is a major constraint.

Buildings

There are three old buildings handed over by the State Agriculture Department.  One building is being used for the laboratories and providing sitting space to the scientists. Another building is being used as Director’s office and Administrative block. Rest is being used for storage and accommodating the technical staff. An old pesticide godown has been renovated and is being used for meetings, seminars etc. New laboratory cum administrative complex along with residential quarters for the staff members have been sanctioned in the IX plan. 

Any Other Item

 Water and electricity supply need to be improved urgently with the support of  concerned state departments. Vehicle a major requirement to travel in this hilly and inaccessible area is inadequate presently. Medical facilities for the staff need to be created, on urgent basis.  

Darjeeling Campus

Back ground 

Darjeeling centre of Central Potato Research Station (CPRS) was brought under the National Research Centre for Orchids on 28th October 1997 .  Since then it is being known as Darjeeling Campus of NRC for Orchids. Research emphasis at this campus is on lilies, gladiolus and other commercially important bulbous ornamental crops. Work on Micropropagation of lilies and  Iris to be initiated  

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