<p></p><p>The number of cashew varieties being preserved at Scion Bank of Horticulture Research Centre (Ullal) has increased to 60. University of Horticulture Sciences (UHS, Bagalkot) has plans to strengthen the centre by appointing additional staff in its research wing.At Geru Mela-2012, a festival of cashew held at the centre on Friday, UHS board of management member S D Sampath Samrajya said that three more assistant professors for horticulture, entomology and soil science will be appointed.</p> <p>Speaking on making the centre work efficiently to preserve all varieties of cashew crops available in the world, he said: "We preserve various cashew crops, including few high-yielding varieties, by growing it in separate blocks. The centre will serve as a gene bank for cashew crops by protecting common and rare varieties."Cashew farmers in the state need to adopt modern technology and should follow scientific methods of farming to increase productivity, he said. "It is unfortunate that the yield in cashew in the state is only 500 kg per hectare, while it is 1,200 kg per hectare in Maharashtra. There are ample opportunities for farmers in the state to earn more through cashew farming," he added.<br></p><p></p>