Annadana Center at the AV Botanical Garden

The Genetic Resource Center of Annadana at the AV Botanical Garden is managed in 4 acres with a Seed production garden together with farm infrastructure buildings and a Seed bank.

The center uses only alternative energy sources and the garden applies sustainable high yielding organic techniques of cultivation together with water conservation measures for irrigation.

Solar and Wind Energy provide water and electricity, so much so, the seed stock is conserved in a 220 litre fridge also powered by solar energy. Water conservation methods like drip irrigation is used to preserve water together with run off management measures.

The Seed Bank has an infrastructure of 80 sq.mt, conceived for the extraction, drying, conservation and packing of vegetable seeds together with an office space for administration of the seed distribution network, printing of seed catalogue and seed packets, maintaining data and feed back, and responds to the many queries on
seed keeping.

The seed bank activities are managed by a team of efficient specialists which together with our local staff and a host of volunteers process the harvests from the garden. Each year in total 80 to 100 different varieties of vegetables like Tomatoes, Capsicum, Brinjal, Salads, Cucurbit, Corn, Lady finger, Chillies, Water melon, Cucumber, Amaranth, Bottle Gourd, Beans, etc… are grown, selected, isolated, harvested, extracted, dried, tested, packed and sent free of cost to hundreds of farmers, farmers association, NGO’s, individuals, private and State Institution ( Horticulture Research Stations; State Farms; State Training Centers).

Each year, since inception, Annadana distributes an average of 20 - 25,000 seed packets free of cost all over India.

The seed bank maintains data on yield of varieties, resistance and tolerance to diseases, heat and water stress, conducts germination tests, compiles comprehensive documentation for local farmers about seed keeping. It manages correspondence with network members, fulfils requests for seed orders, responds to queries and feed back.

Applied research and experimentation since 8 years on various organic techniques of
cultivation is conducted in the garden. Our aim is to develop systems of cultivation which are organic, high yielding, sustainable, based on, on farm input which is not only economical but replicable by small scale and marginal farmers.

The various system and techniques investigated in the garden are many: raised bed system, composting farm residues and local available resources, system of soil fertilization through green manure, hedges and on farm cultivation of bio mass and bio pesticide plants, vermicomposting, efficient microorganisms, organic growth promoter and immunity boosters, development of bio pesticides using fermentation, decoction and extraction of local plants.

Our future research with findings will investigate the dynamics of irrigation water with micro nutrients, wood vinegar (as plant protection) and anthropogenic black soil formation.