The ICAR-Directorate of Floricultural Research (DFR) in Pune released four improved flower varieties and two new technologies during Reforms Utsav 2026, aimed at raising growers' income and strengthening India's floriculture sector.
The new varieties are DFR Pallavi, DFR Swarna and DFR Megha in chrysanthemum, and DFR Soham in gladiolus. The directorate says they reflect its work to diversify flower crops and give growers improved planting material and better productivity.
The first technology, DFR Phool Shakti, is designed to extend the vase life of cut flowers, improving their post-harvest quality and how well they sell. The second, DFR Khushbu, is a value-added product made from the essential oil of ornamental basil, for use as a car or room freshener, which the directorate presents as a route to market-oriented products from ornamental plants.
The varieties and technologies were released jointly by Dr K. V. Prasad, Director of ICAR-DFR, and Dr N. G. Patil, Director of the ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning in Nagpur.
ICAR expects them to benefit farmers, nursery entrepreneurs and others in the floriculture value chain, through better planting material and through value addition and entrepreneurship.
Photo: Joydeep / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: ICAR
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