Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) stands as a pioneering institution in the field of agricultural education and research in India, located in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. TNAU has played a pivotal role in transforming agricultural practices and contributing to the overall development of the agricultural sector in the Country. Established in 1971, the university is committed to imparting quality education in agriculture and allied sciences. TNAU offers a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs, fostering knowledge and innovation in areas such as agriculture, horticulture, forestry, environmental science, nanotechnology, agricultural engineering, and more. The university's research endeavours focus on addressing contemporary challenges in agriculture, promoting sustainable farming practices, and enhancing crop productivity. TNAU also actively engages with farmers, providing extension services and disseminating knowledge to the farming community. With its dedication to excellence in education, research, and outreach programme, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University continues to be a catalyst for advancements in agriculture, contributing significantly to the agro-economic landscape of the region.
Horticultural College and Research Institute, Periyakulam (HC&RI, PKM) is a pioneering constituent college of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University focusing education, research and development programmes in horticultural sciences. The institute was started during 1957 as a Fruits Research Station and later upgraded to Horticultural Research Station for conducting research in horticultural crops viz., fruits, vegetables, flowers, plantation crops, spices, medicinal and aromatic crops. In 1975, ICAR - New Delhi has recognized this station and provided AICRP (Fruits) project for conducting citrus research in South India. Later, it was upgraded as Horticultural College and Research Institute, for undertaking academic and research excellence. The institute has contributed & released about 28 crop varieties and 35 farm technologies in horticulture for the benefit of scientists and the farmers. In International and National arena, HC&RI, Periyakulam is a scientifically referred institute for widening of plant genetic resources and technological interventions.
India is leading in production and productivity of major horticultural crops by adopting hi- tech horticultural technologies. However, Indian horticultural crop production faces lot of challenges under changing climatic conditions. To address the environmental challenges, latest technological interventions and precision horticulture have to be adopted to enhance the productivity and environmental safety. In this view, the Horticultural College and Research Institute, Periyakulam has planned to organize an “International Conference on Precision Horticulture-ICPH 2024 (Advancing technologies for Sustainable production, food and environment) from 22.08.2024 to 24.08.2024 to discuss the recent advances in horticulture crops production, protection and postharvest management.
