For the First time in the World, the Research conducted by the Lunuwila Coconut Research Institute regarding the Cultivation of Coconut through Tissue Culture in relation to the Unopened Female Flower of the Coconut Flower has been very successful.

Dr. Sanathani Ranasinghe, Director of the said Research Institute stated that the research conducted by the Lunuwila Coconut Research Institute on the preparation of coconut plants using tissue culture technology for the first time in the world was very successful.

Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries has recently visited the Lunuwila Coconut Research Institute to see this new invention.

The Minister observed the coconut plants that have been successfully produced by using a fine part of a coconut flower in research tubes at there. Although a large space is required for setting up coconut plants in our traditional coconut cultivation system, coconut plants were successfully grown in a glass tube about six inches high in the laboratory.

A group of scientists led by Dr. Sanathani Ranasinghe, Head of Division Dr. Vijitha Vidanarachchi conducted this research in this research group.

Although many coconut growing countries in the world are using tissue culture technology to grow coconut plants, they use parts related to the coconut kernel. However, no country in the world has constructed coconut saplings using parts related to the Unopened Female Flower of the coconut flower so far.

Therefore, the production of coconut plants by the Clonal Plant tissue culture method carried out by the Lunuwila Coconut Research Institute in their laboratories has been very successful.

The Minister who discussed with the said officials expressed his opinion regarding the use of this new technology to produce king coconut plants as there is a huge demand for king coconuts of our country in the international market.

Dr. Sanathani Ranasinghe stated that the Lunuwila Coconut Research Institute has already started creating king coconut plants using this new technology.

The Minister has also mentioned that the steps will be taken to provide the necessary financial allocations through the Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries to produce as many coconut and king coconut plants as possible using this method.

Also, the Minister expressed his gratitude to all the scientists who introduced this new technology and showed that Sri Lanka is ahead of other countries in the world.