Thiruvananthapuram, Oct. 25: The Kerala competition to put together a ground-stationed device to pluck coconuts has drawn over 350 applicants ranging from engineering students to scientists.

The deadline for submitting proposals to win the Rs 10-lakh prize announced by the Kerala industries department expired yesterday.

Among the competitors who have submitted designs are engineering students, scientists, fabricators and companies, including one each from Japan and Israel. Twelve applicants are women.

The southern state, which derives its name from the coconut tree (kera vriksham), has been grappling with the problem of finding hands to pluck coconuts from tall palms as children of the traditional climbers have shifted to white-collar jobs.

Coconut trees have a 45-day plucking cycle and many of those are left unattended in the absence of climbers now.

This prompted the industries department to invite innovators. “It should be a simple method that can be used by women and even old people to pluck coconuts without climbing the tree,” the department said.

“We call upon anyone to develop a product that can be used to pluck coconuts while standing on the ground. It should also cut palm fronds and clean the bushy crowns to keep them healthy. Anyone wanting to go ahead with this should submit a design and, if it is approved, they will be given Rs 10 lakh to develop it.”

The department has been overwhelmed by the response despite the fact that many had mocked its efforts to find a device that could phase out climbers. Now it is planning to place the entries before an expert committee for short-listing the best eight of the lot.

The government will help the top three develop the machines.