Coconut - Tree of Life

W. M. Jayantha Karunaratna

The term 'Tree of Life' itself explains the importance of this palm for an island nation like us. The coconut is also known as 'Poor man's survival kit' in some other coconut growing countries, because of its versatility.

I do not have to talk any further about its importance to Sri Lankans as they really experienced it when the curry nut price went up to over Rs.60 per nut in 2010. I do not discuss the reasons of this price escalation in this article as this was lengthily discussed in numerous forums and so many articles were published in newspapers.

Though the coconut prices have a correlation with coconut/vegetable oil prices, coconut price usually escalates during the lean cropping months. The Ministry of Coconut Development and Janatha Estates Development has launched a massive coconut planting programme to plant four million seedlings during 2011. This would also help to mitigate future unusual price escalation of curry nuts during the lean cropping months. Further, it is commendable that the Ministry of Economic Development too has implemented a project called 'Divi Neguma' with an objective of 'home gardening for self-sufficiency', involving one million home gardens. In those home gardens, coconut should be given a prominence place considering its contribution in terms of the income throughout the year and other benefits.

Agriculture practices

In the home gardens, where there are no favourable growing conditions too, few coconut palms can be grown on a certain plan, designed by considering the micro climate created due to habitation.

The following factors are vital in increasing the coconut crop.

1. High yielding, vigorous and healthy coconut planting material which can withstand dry spells, produce more nuts with optimum nut weight etc.
2. Optimum number of palms per acre.
3. Acreage under coconut.
4. Regular and sound Agriculture practices and fertilizing.

The above items 2, 3 and 4 are being attended to a certain extent by the government authorities that are responsible for the industry by way of granting fertilizer subsidy, subsidy for cultivation, large scale planting, home garden projects etc. But, there are constraints in producing the required no. of high yielding quality planting material (Genetically superior) for such planting programmes.

It is of utmost importance that we plant a genetically superior high yielding seedling because when it becomes an adult palm, it occupies approximately 110 square feet of the country's land extent, leaving no room for any other crops to grow, other than a Pepper wine creeping on the trunk of the palm. Therefore, special attention should be paid to quality of planting material to avoid poor production per acre which will eventually affect the National Yield.

Our ancestors

At present, the Coconut Research Institute produces about 1.0 million seed nuts of improved (Genetically superior) varieties in its coconut seed gardens, annually. The Coconut Cultivation Board produces about 2.0 mn. Seed nuts from outstanding palms (plus palms) of its own estates and other estates. Out of the 3.0mn. Seed nuts, approximately 2.1 mn. Seedlings are produced, annually. For any additional requirement, nuts are collected from the blocks (Block nuts) selected on a certain criteria of yield/vegetative performance, from other estates.

According to the census, Sri Lanka has an extent of 394836 hectares (975640 acres) of coconut out of which 82 percent consists of small holdings of 20 acres and below. I am not aware whether a some sort of age analysis of the country's coconut extent was carried out by any organization. However, if assumed that we need to under plant/ Re plant / Infill at least 5 percent of the country's coconut extent of 976,000 acres, annually, it requires 4,450,000 seed nuts (3,100,000 seedlings), approximately. This figure is excluding the requirement of new planting. But, with the present seed nut production of 3.0 mn., we can meet only 67 percent (2,100,000 seedlings) of this requirement. According to 2009 statistics, 0.8 percent of the total coconut extent was replanted and about 1.0 percent is added as new planting, annually.

In this context, it is worthwhile to find out how our ancestors or grand fathers found planting material to established the coconut plantations which are now over 60 years old. The adult palms of most of these remaining old plantations are still vigorous and high yielding and show uniformity in growth and yield to a considerable extent. I can still remember we had couple of selected outstanding adult palms in our own home garden.

Coconut growers

The coconuts picked from these palms were generally used for domestic extraction of coconut oil and raising seedlings for infilling/under planting.

I have also noticed that these palms produced more coconuts throughout the year without a significant lean cropping period which is known among the coconut growers as 'Hamas kale'. The coconuts from these palms are somewhat heavier and larger (probably with a husked nut weight of over 700 grams and a nut girth of over 14"- 15") with a good oil (Copra) yield. Though these nuts are somewhat large in size, a bunch can accommodate more nuts as the shape of the nut is such that its front section towards the stalk is somewhat tapered.

I believe that these palms were selected after observing for a considerable period of time, on the following lines.

- Palm vigor and health.

- Some uniformity in no. of nuts of the 12 bunches picked during the year and annual yield of

- of over 80 - 100 nuts per palm.

- Size and shape of the nut.

- Nut weight and thickness of the kernel.

But, even if we selected a Coconut palm with all these desirable characteristics, we do not see all such characteristics in its offspring's as they are produced through Cross pollination (In Tall Coconut variety, reproduction is done through Cross pollination with pollen from some other unknown palm). But, some of the prominent desirable traits such as nut weight etc. of the mother palm are carried to their off springs. This is the main hindrance in producing a coconut palm with all the desirable characteristics the Mother palm possesses. But, this problem can be overcome to a certain extent by adopting the following criteria.

- Select coconut palms with the characteristics, discussed above.

- Do not select if such palms are closer to a site with specific favorable conditions such as cattle shed, well, kitchen etc.

- Preferably, do the screening of such palms during the lean cropping months (August - December), so that only the palms which give more coconuts during this period can be selected.

- Select the palms with nuts of required weight, size and shape and check such measurements as already indicated in this document.

- Palms yielding less than 80 Coconuts per palm per year must be rejected.

- When picking Coconuts from the palms selected on the above criteria, mark each picked nut by painting the respective palm number while the picked nuts are lying under the particular palm. After seasoning the seed nuts under a shade for about 1- 1 1/2 months, lay the seed nuts in a Nursery, according to the painted palm numbers, on a certain order to identify seed nuts from individual palm, in the nursery. The selected palms can be further screened by monitoring fastness of germination, vigor of seedlings etc. of their seed nuts.

- Adopt strict culling of seed nuts/seedlings even up to 50 percent of seed nuts laid, to produce superior seedlings.

Rehabilitation scheme

In the aforesaid procedure, the main technique is Selection which is the most simple and cost effective method of genetic improvement. The seedlings thus produced may be superior to the seedlings from Block nuts and also have a lesser juvenile period after field planting, ensuring early return of investment to the grower.

When I was a Superintendent of a state owned Coconut estate in early 1990s, while picking during the lean cropping period, I noticed that more nuts are harvested from some palms. This observation compelled me to select palms out of such palms by adopting the aforesaid criteria and found that 70 percent of the seed nuts thus collected were of Green pigmentation (colour of nut) which I believe as the typical colour of Sri Lankan Tall (Typica) variety. The seedlings raised from those seed nuts by adopting strict culling of weak seedlings were more of Green colour with an outstanding vigour and hardiness.

I have adopted the same techniques, in improving the planting material for a foreign funded coconut rehabilitation scheme under United Nations in a South Pacific country where there were no reliable sources of improved varieties of seedlings. The vigour of the seedlings after field planting was remarkable.

I wish to make the following proposals with regard to coconut planting materials.

1. All coconut small holders and other private coconut estate owners should be given a proper knowhow of selecting the Mother palms and seed nuts on their own properties. So that the deficit of improved quality seedlings can be overcome to a greater extent. This method of mother palm selection is also recognized as 'In situ selection' and seedlings from such palms are more adoptive to the particular local growing conditions. However such seed nuts may be superior to the seed nuts from the 'Plus palms' and Block nuts too.

2. Very strict culling (even up to 50 percent) of seedlings in the Nursery on germination and growth should be adopted. In the long run, the coconut industry will immensely benefit from such a policy. Any deficit that may occur due to strict culling in the Nursery can be overcome by implementing the proposal No. 1, widely.

3. Regular updating of the coconut census for acreage, age, condition of palms etc. should be carried out for the grower/Industry to plan out planting, inputs, trading and any other investments etc.

My only intention of writing this brief article is to share my experience of improving coconut planting material with the coconut growers and organizations that are keen in raising improved seedlings for their planting programmes.

The writer has 35 years of experience locally and internationally in the plantation sector out of which about 20 years on coconut. Served as Coconut Development Officer, Estate Superintendent for the Coconut Cultivation Board, and as Agriculture Officer (Farms) and Manager Isolated Seed Garden of the Coconut Research Institute. He was employed under United Nations as a Coconut Agronomist responsible for execution of a Coconut Rehabilitation Scheme funded by IMF, in a South Pacific country. Presently, serves as Consultant (Agriculture) George Steuart (Teas & Marketing) (Pvt.)Ltd.