Srinagar: The scenic beauty of Kashmir’s tulip gardens has long been a major attraction for tourists, with vibrant displays at Srinagar drawing visitors each year. In a significant step toward promoting sustainable floriculture and enhancing farmers’ income, CSIR Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu a premier research and development institution of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, mandated with pre-clinical drug discovery, has also been implementing various societal Mission programmes like CSIR’s Aroma and Floriculture Mission. Under the CSIR Floriculture Mission, the key verticals include Generation of Quality Planting Material of High Value Floricultural Crops, Area Expansion under Floriculture, Urban Floriculture, Post-Harvest Processing and Value Addition, Integration of Floriculture with Apiculture, Establishing Marketing Linkages, and Domestication of Wild Ornamentals. Further, through the Mission activities, the institute has been dedicated to supporting farmers through research and development, particularly in high value floricultural crop cultivation.
During media interaction held at Tulipgarden of Bonera Field Station, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director of CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, highlighted the significance of this initiative, stating that the Bonera Station currently houses eight tulip varieties under strategic research programmes to develop indigenous tulip bulbs, assess morphological characteristics, establish agro-technological protocols and evaluate varieties for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. He emphasized that indigenizing tulip bulb production will reduce India’s reliance on imports, create economic opportunities for farmers, and contribute to the overall growth of the floriculture sector.
