Dr Anitha Karun, head, Crop Improvement division of CPCRI assumed charge as acting Director, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) at Kasaragod.
She succeeds Dr P Chowdappa, who retired voluntarily recently. Dr Anitha has served at CPCRI for over 27 years (since 1991). Before joining the Agricultural Research Service, she worked at Kerala Agricultural University (Pilicode).
Dr Anitha Karun obtained PhD in Horticultural Science from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru.
She has vast experience in the field of tissue culture, biotechnology, horticulture, plantation crops and has developed important technologies such as embryo rescue protocol in coconut, tissue culture in arecanut, cryopreservation of coconut pollen and molecular biotechnological aspects.