Ensuring quality planting material for sustainable coconut production

Abstract

Coconut is a long duration crop with a long juvenile period, spanning 7-10 years and a long productive period of above 50 years. But, initial flowering and stabilization of yield take 5-7 and 10-12 years, respectively. The long juvenile period slows down the multiplication of planting material. Mother palm population of a newly developed variety is possible only after a gap of 10-14 years. Another impediment in coconut seed production is the low number, approximately 50, of planting material possible from a mother palm. As a consequence of all these factors, spread of a new variety possible in the first 10 years is 0.25 ha/annum/mother palm. Initial number of mother palms available at the time of release of a new variety determines quantity of planting material possible and speed of spread of the variety. If a variety is released with 100 mother palms, it can spread to 250 ha during the first 10 years which is only 0.01% of total area under coconut in India. Planting advanced lines or promising lines in nurseries and farms under public sector will improve the availability of mother palms when these lines are released as new varieties. Another approach can be the farmer participatory evaluation where advanced lines or promising lines are evaluated on farm. Mother palm blocks of released varieties can be established in nurseries under public and private sector as long-term strategy to improve the availability of planting material.