Mangaluru : University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (UAHS), Shivamogga in association with other government institutes will soon take up a Rs. five crore research project for finding a solution to yellow leaf disease (YLD) in arecanut plantations, according to its Vice-Chancellor C. Vasudevappa.

Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of a cashew festival at agriculture and horticulture research station at Ullal on Tuesday, he said that the research center of the project would be based in Sringeri.

Arecanut plantations, both YLD affected and non-affected, in the radius of about 50 k.m. from Sringeri would be selected for conducting experiments in addition to the plantation of the university.

The research project would be taken in association with the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasaragod and National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects.

In addition the university would take up a project of developing oil palm species suitable to Malnad and coastal belt as an alternative to arecanut. The experimental project would come up on 37 acre land at Bavikere near Shivamogga. Bharatiya Krishi Anusandhana Parishat would sponsor this project.

He said that cashew cultivation would be profitable only when farmers took up it with inter-crop cultivation such as pepper, pineapple, ginger, turmeric and papaya.