Port Blair, Feb 03: With the twin objectives of ensuring nutritional security and augmenting agricultural biodiversity of Nicobari homesteads and tuhets, the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR), Regional Station, Thrissur, Kerala has undertaken a programme under Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) of ICAR at four villages in Nancowrie namely Bada Enakka, Vikas Nagar, Kakana and Munak. The programme comprised distribution of agricultural implements like spade, hand fork and khurpi, and assorted seed packets of ten vegetables like brinjal, okra, chilli, yard-long bean, bush cowpea, ashgourd, pumpkin, cucumber, oriental pickling melon, Chinese spinach, besides seed tubers of five landraces of greater yam (Nicobari aloo) to  50 beneficiaries. Drs. Joseph John K and K Pradheep, Principal Scientists from ICAR-NBPGR, Dr. Muhammed Nissar VA, Scientist from ICAR-IISR, Kozhikode and Dr.I. Jaisankar, Senior Scientist from ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair handled the technical sessions of the training. Sh. Ramesh Kumar, Asst. Director of Agriculture, Campbell Bay ensured logistic support through his field staff stationed at Kamorta. Captains of respective villages: Mr. Uman Sari, Bada Enakka; Ms. Jenifer, Vikas Nagar; Mr. Frazer James, Kakana; Mr. L Jimmy, Munak were proactive in ensuring maximum participation of tribal farmers. Seeds of a new promising vegetable, namely sweet gourd or gac (Momordica cochinchinensis), having several health benefits, were also distributed and its cultivation practices were explained by the visiting scientists.