Establishment

Horticultural Research station, Udhagamandalam, was established during the year 1988 under the control of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The administrative building of the research station along with laboratory building, glass house and polyhouses are located in the Vijayanagaram Farm, in the centenary Rose Park. The field experiments are conducted at Wood House Farm in an area of 42 acres near Doddabetta. Seed production of temperate vegetables is being taken up at Nanjanad farm in an area of 8 acres

Nilgiris district is situated at an elevation of 900 to 2636 meters above MSL.  Approximately 65% of the geographical area of this district lies at an altitude of above 1800-2500 meters above MSL and the remaining 35% at lower altitude.  The climate is temperate to sub-tropical.  The average annual rainfall ranges from 950 to 1550 mm. The topography of this district is rolling and steep.  About 60% of the cultivable land falls under the slope ranging from 10 to 33%.  The maximum temperature ranges from 16.6 to 28°C and the minimum temperature ranges from 0 to 9°C during the winter months of November to February. The average wind velocity is 8.8 KMPH. The source of irrigation mainly depends on the summer showers, South West and North East monsoons. The wide occurrence of charnockite or of Nilgiris gneiss rocks are acid ones.  True peat forms in the hallows of the Nilgiris due to the growth and decomposition of mass as in temperate climate.  The soils vary markedly even within a small area.