The CD ROM and the Internet edition of the publication were released by Sri C. Ramachandran IAS, Agricultural Production Commissioner, Government of Kerala at the Government Guest House, Thycaud, Trivandrum on 3rd May 2003. The first copy of the CD ROM was received by Sri. K.R. Jyothilal, IAS, Director of Agriculture. The Vice-Chancellor, Members of the Executive Committee, senior officials of the university and the Director, IIITM-K, Techno Park, Trivandrum were present on the occasion.

The Package of Practices Recommendations: Crops is the most authentic record of reference on agricultural practices and technological developments pertaining to the major and minor crops of Kerala. It has a long-standing credential of over thirty years as a reliable information source to all the stakeholders in the field of agriculture, right from policy makers to practising farmers.

The twelfth edition of the Package of Practices Recommendations: Crops has been updated with all the recent developments and research findings approved by the State Level Workshops and Task Groups on Specific Problems. These workshops were attended by the scientists of the university, ICAR institutes, commodity boards, State level extension functionaries and progressive farmers. Though the basic ideas have been retained, no effort has been spared in including the emerging areas of importance like biological control of pests and diseases, use of bio-fertilizers, vermi and coirpith composting, tissue culture propagation of crops, keeping quality of fruits and vegetables etc.

The book has been made more comprehensive by organizing it into eighteen chapters and appendices dealing with the seed to seed recommendations for all the corps and enterprises having potential for Kerala. There are chapters on cereals and millets, pulses, tubers, commercial crops, oil seeds, spices and condiments, beverages and stimulants, vegetables, fruits, ornamental plants, medicinal and aromatic plants, fodder crops, green manure crops and agro-forestry; and special topics on agro-ecological zones of Kerala, vermi-compost and coirpith compost, bio-fertilizers, guidelines for maximizing fertilizer use efficiency, beekeeping, sericulture, rodents and their control, biocontrol of salvinia, bio-control agents against plant pathogens, soil solarization, mushrooms, tissue culture propagation of crops, keeping quality of fruits and vegetables, low-cost technology for irrigation and farm machinery suitable for Kerala. More over, additional information on the use of pesticides and fertilizers has been included under appendices.

This new edition, which is a compilation of all the recent developments in agriculture, will be of great help to the farming community, extension workers and scientists.