Coconut

Special Problems

Rejuvenation of Existing Garden

  • Low yield in majority of gardens is due to thick population, lack of manuring and irrigation. These gardens could be improved if the following measures are taken.
  • Thinning of thickly populated gardens: In the farmer's holdings, 41 per cent of the trees give yield of less than 20 nuts/palm/year. By cutting and removal of these trees, the yield could be increased by 1750 nuts/ha.
  • Besides, there is a saving in the cost of cultivation and increase in net profit to the tune of Rs.2000/ha. After removal of low yielding trees, the population should be maintained at 175-200 palms/ha.
  • Ensuring adequate manuring and irrigation : Research results have shown that the yield of coconut palms could be increased by 23 nuts/palms/year by applying the manurial schedule of 50 kg of FYM or green leaf plus NPK at 560, 320, 1200 g/palm.
  • When irrigation at 10 days interval is also given during summer months in addition to manuring, the yield increase was 44 nuts/palm and when all these were combined (manuring + irrigation + cultural practices), the yield increase was 67 nuts/tree over control.

Button shedding

  • Shedding of buttons and premature nuts may be due to the following reasons :

  1. 1. Excess acidity or alkalinity
  2. 2. Lack of drainage
  3. 3. Severe drought
  4. 4. Genetic causes
  5. 5. Lack of nutrients
  6. 6. Lack of pollination
  7. 7. Hormone deficiency
  8. 8. Pests
  9. 9. Diseases

The following remedial measures are suggested

Rectification of soil pH

  • Excess acidity or alkalinity of soil may cause button shedding. If the soil pH is less than 5.5, it is an indication of excess acidity.
  • This could be rectified by adding lime. Increase in alkalinity is indicated by soil pH higher than 8.0. This situation could be rectified by adding gypsum.

Providing adequate drainage facilities

  • Lack of drainage results in the roots of coconut trees getting suffocated for want of aeration. Shedding of buttons occur under such condition. Drainage channels have to be dug along the contours to drain the excess water during rainy season.

Burial of coconut husk or coir waste

  • Severe drought condition and lack of irrigation during summer result in button shedding.
  • To rectify the situation coconut husks may be buried @ 100 husks with concave surface facing upwards or 25 kg of coir waste in semi circular trenches, dug to one foot width and two feet depth at 1.5 metres radius.
  • This may be applied at the bottom and the usual manures and fertilizers applied above this coconut husk or coir waste as the case may be. Besides decomposition of these materials provide additional potash to the coconut.

Genetic causes

  • In some trees button shedding may persist even after ensuring adequate crop, pest and disease management.
  • This is an indication of inherent defect of the mother palm from which the seed material was obtained.
  • This underlines the need for proper choice of superior mother palm for harvesting seed coconut to ensure uniformly good yielding trees.

Lack of nutrition

  • Button shedding occurs due to inadequate or lack of manuring.
  • The recommended dose of manurial schedules and proper time of application are important to minimise button shedding.
  • Apply extra 2 kg of K2O with 200 g of Borax/palm over and above the usual dosage of fertilizer to correct barren nuts in coconut

Lack of pollination

  • Button shedding also occurs due to lack of pollination.
  • Setting up of bee hives at 15 units per ha may increase the cross pollination in the garden.
  • Further the additional income obtained through honey, increases the net profit per unit area.

Harmone deficiency

  • The fertilised female flowers shed in some cases.
  • By spraying 2-4D at 30 ppm, the setting percentage could be increased to 32.5 per cent as against 25 per cent in the control.
  • The chemical 2-4D may be mixed at 30 mg per litre of water and sprayed one month after opening of the spathe using micro sprayer.

Pests

  • Button shedding may happen due to the attack of coreid bug. Spraying of systemic insecticides like Methyldemeton 1 ml in one litre or Dimethoate 1 ml in one litre may reduce the occurrence.

Diseases

  • Button shedding also occurs due to disease incidence such as Thanjavur wilt. Adoption of control measures suggested for the disease reduces not only spread of the disease but also prevents shedding of buttons.

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Tamilnadu

Coconut

Coconut Management