Improved Lotus Variety ‘Namoh 108’ Launched by CSIR-NBRI on Independence Day Eve
The CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) introduced a new and improved variety of the national flower Lotus, named ‘Namoh 108’, featuring 108 petals. The launch event took place in Lucknow a day before Independence Day as part of CSIR Director General N. Kalaiselvi’s dedication of the flower to the nation. The unveiling occurred during NBRI’s week-long festival, ‘One Week One Lab Programme’.
The director also inaugurated a wellness center for CSIR-NBRI staff and planted a sapling. The ‘Namoh 108’ Lotus is significant as it’s the first variety with a completely sequenced genome, making it less susceptible to endangerment. The institute also introduced other products, including an aloe vera variety named NBRI Nihar, as outcomes of its research and development efforts.
The ‘Namoh 108’ name stems from the religious importance of the Lotus and its 108 petals. This clonal selection from Manipur features large, light pink flowers that bloom almost year-round, thanks to NBRI’s technology intervention.
This variety boasts high nutritional components and can be propagated through rhizomes, stolon division, and seeds. The event also marked the inauguration of a vertical garden around Lakshman Circle on the airport premises as part of CSIR-NBRI’s beautification drive.
