ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute

The Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) is headquartered in Kasaragod, Kerala, India, and functions as a central research institute for plantation crops under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), part of the National Agricultural Research System. Its origins trace to 1916, when it was established as the Coconut Research Station at Kasaragod, later taken over by ICAR. CPCRI itself was formed in 1970 by merging the Central Coconut Research Station at Kasaragod and Kayamkulam with the Central Arecanut Research Station, Vittal, and its substations. The institute's mandate covers research on coconut, areca nut, palmyra, and cocoa, having earlier also included cashew, oil palm, and spices before these were spun off into separate institutes. CPCRI's research is organized into divisions covering Crop Improvement, Crop Production, Crop Protection, Physiology, Biochemistry, Post Harvest Technology, and Social Sciences. It manages the International Coconut Gene Bank for South Asia at Kidu, Karnataka, and serves as headquarters for the All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Palms, overseeing 28 centers across 14 states and one union territory. It also has regional stations, research centres, and two Krishi Vigyan Kendras.