Dr. Nampoothiri is a former Director of the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (C.P.C.R.I.), Kasaragod, Kerala, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Government of India. He served as the Head of the Division of Plant Breeding at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, Benin city, Nigeria for five years. He was also Director of M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India and a FAO consultant. He is the recipient of the Platinum Jubilee Award for coconut research and development from the C.P.C.R.I. His major field of specialization is agriculture: cytogenetics and plant breeding.Dr. V. Krishnakumar is currently a Principal Scientist (Agronomy) and Head, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (Regional Station), Kayamkulam, Kerala. He served as editor of the Journal of Plantation Crops. As an agronomist he has edited ten books and published more than 100 research and technical articles as well as contributingchapters in various books and technical bulletins. Mr. P. K. Thampan is the (retired) Chief Coconut Development Officer of the Coconut Development Board, Government of India. Specializing in agronomy, he was involved in the implementation of numerous international COGENT (Coconut Genetic Resources) and APCC (Asian Pacific Coconut community) projects. His field activities cover agricultural extension, agricultural education and integrated development of the coconut industry. Sri Thampan is the founder President of Peekay Tree Crops Development Foundation, a non-governmental organization. He is the recipient of the Dr. C. S. Venkat Ram Memorial Award. He has authored 18 books as well as 200 scientific and technical essays.Dr. M. Achuthan Nair served as Professor of Agronomy and Director (Academic), Kerala Agricultural University. He is a FAO (UN) consultant. His fields of specialization are plant nutrition, agronomy and agro forestry, and he has published over 100 scientific articles.
