The All India Coordinated Research Project on Floriculture conducted group meetings from time to time to review the progress of work done in the coordinated project and for the finalization of research programmes, keeping in view of the changing priorities and thrust areas of rapidly expanding floriculture industry. The first workshop was organized at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi in February, 1971. From 1973 to 1977, no workshops were held as there was no Project Coordinator in position. The list of workshops / group meetings held so far under the project is given in Table 5. In the XIX Group Meeting of AICRP on Floriculture held at India Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi on 10-12 December, 2009 it was decided to hold the meeting annually instead of every biennium.

The list of Group Meetings of the AICRP on Floriculture.

Research Programme

The All India Coordinated Research Project on Floriculture started operating with 60 projects on 25 crops during the IV Plan. The utility and efficiency of these programmes were reviewed critically during the end of each Five Year Plan and the number of crops was subsequently reduced to 15 and 5 during the VI and VII Plan periods, and the number of research projects was reduced to 43 and 26, respectively, during the above plans. Since 1982, intensified research projects were taken up on 5 crops (rose, gladiolus, orchid, carnation and chrysanthemum) which were identified in view of their export potential. In the changed priorities, research work was also initiated during VII Five Year Plan on few seasonal flowers and bulbous plants. During the VIII Plan, two important commercial crops viz., gerbera and anthurium were included. During IX Plan, seasonal and bulbous plants were dropped and work on 8 crops namely rose, gladiolus, chrysanthemum, carnation, orchid, anthurium, tuberose and gerbera were undertaken. During the X Five Year Plan, 4 more crops, viz., lilium, alstroemeria, tulip and daffodils were included which have great potential in northern hills. Thus, at present (from XXIV Group Meeting onwards) there are 55 research projects covering 12 ornamental crops besides, speciality flowers, loose flowers, foliage plants, fillers, native ornamentals, landscape plant material, turf grass, value addition and essential.