Indian gliding lizard Draco dussumieri at Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute

"Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute", (formerly Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute)

renamed in the fond memory of visionary Prime Minister of India Shri Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru is an autonomous Institute established by the Government of Kerala on 17 November 1979 at

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

, the capital city of Kerala. It functions under the umbrella of the

Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) is an autonomous body constituted by the Government of Kerala in November 2002 to encourage and promote science and technology-related activities in Kerala State. Prior to the ...

(KSCSTE), Government of Kerala. The Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG), Kew played an exemplary and significant role in shaping and designing the lay out of the JNTBGRI garden in its formative stages. The Institute undertakes research in conservation biology,

Biotechnology Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used ...

, plant taxonomy, microbiology, phytochemistry, ethnomedicine and ethnophamacology, which are the main areas considered to have immediate relevance to the development of the garden. While taxonomists prepared a flora of the garden documenting the native plant wealth before mass introduction and face lift which subsequently followed, the bio-technologists mass multiplied plants of commercial importance, especially orchids for cultivation and distribution to the public. JNTBGRI makes a comprehensive survey of the economic plant wealth of Kerala, to conserve, preserve and sustainably utilize the plant wealth. The institute carries out botanical, horticultural and chemical research for plant improvement and utilization; and offers facilities for the improvement of ornamental plants and propagation in the larger context of the establishment of nursery and flower trade. The cultivation and culturing of plants of India/other countries with comparable climatic condition for the economic benefit of Kerala/India is also taken care. Activities to help botanical teaching and to create public understanding of the value of plant research is initiated by JNTBGRI. JNTBGRI gardens medicinal plants, ornamental plants and various introduced plants of economic or aesthetic value. JNTBGRI also serves as a source of supply of improved plants which are not readily available from other agencies. Scientific researches on plant wealth are pursued through the following Divisions: 1. Garden Management, Education, Information and Training 2. Plant Genetic Resources 3. Biotechnology and Bioinformatics 4. Conservation Biology 5. Ethnomedicine and Ethnopharmacology 6. Phytochemistry and Phytopharmacology 7. Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Sciences 8. Microbiology

The major achievements of JNTBGRI at a glance

* Developed a modern conservatory garden for ex-situ conservation of plants and scientific studies for sustainable utilization. *Established large living collection of trees and woody lianas (1000 species); Medicinal, Aromatic and Spice plants (1500 species), Pre-tsunami living collections from Andaman-Nicobar Islands (125 species), Orchids (600 species and 150 hybrids); Bamboos (60 species); Rare and Threatened plants( 550 species); Ferns and Fern allies ( 165 species); Palms (105 species), Cyclades ( 35 species) and special groups like Zingibers ( 50 species), Bougainvillea, Aquatic plants, Insectivorous plants, Wild ornamentals, Wild Balsams, Jasmines, Begonias, Strobilanthes, Water lilies etc. for conservation, display and education. The living collections of trees, bamboos, orchids, Medicinal Aromatic and spice plants are the largest in South Asia. *Established a National Gene Bank for Medicinal and aromatic plants including a Meristem Bank, Seed Bank, Cryo Bank and a Field Gene Bank under the aegis of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. *Discovered family Lembosiaceae, genus Xanthagaricus of foliicolous fungi. *Discovered the genera Seidenfadeniella (2 species), Sivadasania (1 species) and over 100 species of flowering plants and discovered 40 species of flowering plants, believed to be extinct in the wild. *Undertaken studies on reproductive biology of selected RET trees, balsams, bamboos and orchids to evolve strategies for their effective conservation. *Produced 15 new orchid and bamboo hybrids having horticultural potential. *Introduced and evaluated 150 species of native plants based on their ornamental and landscape potential. *Recognized by Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India as a lead institution for Biosphere programme and Centre for Research on orchids. *Maintaining a herbarium of Kerala Flora comprising 51,104 specimens (as per 2006 records), catering to the needs of students, researchers and scientists. *Developed tissue culture protocols for rapid multiplication of orchids, medicinal plants, bamboos and rattans leading to reintroduction and restoration of many of them. *Chemical profiling and DNA finger printing of medicinal plants. *Established a Bioinformatics Centre under DBT-BTIS programme of Government of India particularly focused the biological resources of Kerala. *Prepared a database on the Flora of Kerala. *Transferred the production technology of Jeevani (an immuno-enhancing, antifatigue, anti stress and hepatoprotective herbal drug) and SISAIROSP (a herbal formulation to control psoriasis and dandruff) for commercial manufacture. *Developed 12 new phytomedicines and filed 15 patents. *Published 25 books, 1,000 research papers, 20 handouts/bulletins/course materials. *Carried out Environmental Impact Assessment Studies (EIA) on different hydroelectric projects and offered Environmental Management Plan to KSEB to take up various protective measures for safeguarding biodiversity. *A new tree species of the genus Cryptocarya spotted in Edamalakkudy in Idukki district has been named after a tribe from the locality.

The objectives of JNTBGRI

* To carry out

botanical Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

horticultural Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

and

chemical A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by physical separation methods, i.e., w ...

research for plant improvement and utilization. * To organize

germplasm Germplasm are living genetic resources such as seeds or tissues that are maintained for the purpose of animal and plant breeding, preservation, and other research uses. These resources may take the form of seed collections stored in seed banks, t ...

collections of economic plants of interest to the state in the case of those

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

for which separate centers are not already in existence. * To establish a model production center for translating the fruits of research to public advantage leading to plant-based industrial ventures. * To establish an arboretum in approximately half the area of the Garden, with representative specimens of trees of Kerala and India, and trees of economic value from other

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

areas of the world. * To prepare a

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

. * To establish

tissue culture Tissue culture is the growth of tissues or cells in an artificial medium separate from the parent organism. This technique is also called micropropagation. This is typically facilitated via use of a liquid, semi-solid, or solid growth medium, su ...

facility with special reference to the improvement of seeds/fruits/flowers and quick and easy

propagation Propagation can refer to: * Chain propagation in a chemical reaction mechanism *Crack propagation, the growth of a crack during the fracture of materials * Propaganda, non-objective information used to further an agenda * Reproduction, and other fo ...

. * To be engaged in

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

planning and research. * To do chemical screening of plants of potential medicinal importance. * To work in collaboration with similar institutes in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and outside * To promote and establish modern scientific research and development studies relating to plants of importance to

and to

in particular.

Gallery

File:Purple Nymphaeaceae.jpg, Purple Nymphaeaceae at JNTBGRI File:Nepenthes Khasiana.jpg, Nepenthes Khasiana at JNTBGRI File:Fossil Tree JNTBGRI.jpg, Fossil Tree at JNTBGRI File:Neomarica.jpg, Neomarica at JNTBGRI File:Zinnia Elegans JNTBGRI 1.jpg, Zinnia Elegans at JNTBGRI File:Zinnia Elegans JNTBGRI 2.jpg, Zinnia Elegans at JNTBGRI File:Zinnia Elegans JNTBGRI 3.jpg, Zinnia Elegans at JNTBGRI

External links

JNTBGRI official website
Department of Biotechnology
Government of India

Thiruvananthapuram {{authority control State agencies of Kerala Indian forest research institutes Research institutes in Kerala Botanical gardens in India Research institutes in Thiruvananthapuram Botanical research institutes Gene banks 1979 establishments in Kerala Educational institutions established in 1979 Research institutes established in 1979 Environmental organisations based in India