Coconut Cultivation

The coconut palm is an essential tropical crop that grows best in warm, humid climates. It thrives well under an evenly distributed annual rainfall ranging from 1000 mm to 3000 mm. However, a well-distributed rainfall of about 2000 mm is ideal for proper growth and higher yield. Coconut trees do not tolerate extremes of tempera- ture, long dry spells, and severe cold conditions. 

Suitable Soil Conditions

The coconut palm can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, but it does show certain growth 

preferences. A variety of factors such as drainage, soil depth, soil fertility, and layout of the land 

greatly influence the growth of the coconut palm. The major soil types that support coconut farming in 

India are laterite, alluvial, red sandy loam, coastal sandy, and reclaimed soils, with a pH ranging from 

5.2 to 8. 

Intercropping for sustainable ecosystem

Coconut seedlings are typically planted at a distance of 7 to 10 feet between each palm. Adopting a system of intercropping can maximize the utilization of soil and sunlight in the coconut farm. Crop varieties like pineapple, banana, elephant foot yam, groundnut, chilies, sweet potato, and tapioca, 

which live for 8 to 10 years, are good options. They help prevent soil erosion during seasonal monsoon 

rains and also add nutritional value to the soil, along with providing growers with additional income 

opportunities. 

Other mixed-cropping options include perennials like cocoa, pepper, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. 

Mixed farming by raising fodder grasses such as hybrid napier or guinea grass, along with leguminous fodder crops, in coconut farms is a sustainable and profitable way to support the rearing of milch 

animals.


Cultural practices to maximize coconut yield potential 

A number of factors affect the yield potential of the coconut palm. Implementing certain techniques 

and agricultural practices can help increase the yield potential significantly. The following are some of 

the methods that help:


01

Coconut seedling selection and transplantation 

∙Good quality seedlings should be selected and planted. 

∙Apply a mixture of sand, salt, and ash in the pit before transplanting. Sand improves drainage, salt improves soil conditions and loosens the laterites, and ash enriches soil potassium levels. 

02

Setting up the irrigation and draining system 

∙Coconut trees are planted on bunds raised at 2 m breadth and 1 m height to prevent water logging around the base. 

∙Pineapple is generally planted hilly slopes and erosion-prone zones. Apart from controlling soil erosion, it gives good yield with the available water. 

∙Drought conditions can be managed by plowing into the soil rice husks, saw dust, old coconut fronds, or decomposed paddy straw to the root zone to reduce the water evaporation rate. 


03

Improving coconut palm pollination and fruit set 

∙Fixing bee hives in coconut farms improves the pollination rate. 

∙Creating smoke with Ayurveda ingredients helps to control pests and improve the seed set by 

hormonal up regulation. 

04

Nutrient management  

 To maintain the soil fertility and improve palm productivity, green manures and multiple crop 

seeds are sown around the tree basin and incorporated into the soil at its flowering stage, i.e. around 45 days after sowing, when the nitrogen fixation is at its maximum. It takes nearly 10 to 

15 days for decomposition. This practice improves the physical and chemical (ph, Cation exchange capacity) properties of the soil. 


Coconut varieties and their characteristics 

The coconut plant may be broadly classified as tall and dwarf types. Hybrid varieties are also 

cultivated as they give good yield under the right conditions. Understanding the standard 

characteristics can help in coconut variety selection.

Trait Tall Dwarf Intermediate
Plant height Tall (20 - 30m) Short (10 - 15m) Varies from short to tall
Life span 60 – 100 years 40 – 50 years 40 – 60 years
Mode of pollination Highly cross Highly self Highly self
Bearing nature Continuous Seasonal Seasonal to continuous
Average nuts / year 40 – 60 80 – 100 50 – 100
Copra amount & quality 200g/nut, good 80 – 100g/nut, inferior 100 – 150g, inferior
Leaf & bunch attachment Strong Fragile Usually fragile
Pigmentation of nuts Mixture of green, brown, and yellow Pure green, brown, yellow, or red Green or red

Valarchi is a naturally derived organic fertilizer that has proven results in improving the growth of the coconut palm and in generating high yield. Its application comes in two variants—as a coconut soil fortifier and coconut root feeder. 

1. Valarchi for coconut soil fortification 

The Valarchi organic soil fortifier is formulated to enrich a coconut tree by releasing the nutrients steadily and slowly when applied to the soil at different stages of the tree growth. This acts not only as nutrient source but also helps immensely in plant nutrient uptake, along with enhancing the inherent capacity of a tree to withstand soil-borne diseases since it contains many plant-derived active 

ingredients for activation of specific defense mechanisms for betterment of soil and plant health. Over a period of time, these parameters provide a long-lasting impact on the sequestration capacity of the tree, thus enabling self-nurturing or self-healing abilities. Valarchi also substantially helps in the “self-repairing” function of soil by providing a viable ecosystem for microorganisms, which acts as a 

suitable buffer for exchange of necessary nutrition. 


Valarchi coconut soil fortifier – Dosing instructions 

∙5 to 12 months old palm – 1/2 kg per tree, 1 application 

∙1 to 2 years old palm – 1 kg per tree, 2 applications 

∙2 to 4 & above 5 years old palm – 1 kg per tree, 3 applications 

∙Diseased and nutrient deficient tree – 2 kg per tree 

 

Application procedure 

Soil application – At 1.8 meter (or) 3 – 4 feet away from the base of the palm, incorporate at 10 cm 

depth followed by immediate irrigation.


2. Valarchi Coconut root feeder

Valarchi coconut root feeder 

The Valarchi coconut root feeder is a concentrated, organic tonic that is designed in such a way that it 

is enriched with micronutrients, vitamins, and growth regulators in the right proportions, thus ensuring 

the supply of all the essential nutrients besides providing natural protection to the trees against various 

pests and other environmental stresses. 


Benefits of Valarchi Coconut Root Feeder 

∙Improves chlorophyll content and photosynthetic ability of leaves  

∙Production of more healthy and green fronds  

∙Reduces shedding of fertilized female flowers and buttons  

∙Controls cracking of nuts with increase in kernel thickness  

∙Increases longevity and vigor of palm  

∙Increases number and size of nuts  

∙Imparts resistance to drought, pests, and diseases  


Dosage:  

Dilute the concentrated tonic at a ratio of 1:4 with water and feed 200 ml per palm, twice a year, 

at 6-month intervals (recommended especially for yielding palms). 



Application procedure:  

For coconut root feeding, select a pencil-thick feeding live root with white, light yellow, or pink color 

at a distance of 2 to 3 feet away from the base of the palm. Make a slanting cut at the tip of the root 

and insert it into the polythene sachet containing diluted Valarchi coconut root feeder and tie with 

thread (avoid root feeding during rainy days). 



Valarchi – Coconut fertilizer chart (for a palm per year)

Interval 1st month 4th Month 7th Month 10th Month 12th Month
Product Valarchi Coconut Soil Valarchi Coconut Soil Valarchi Coconut Root Valarchi Coconut Soil Valarchi Coconut Root
Dosage Fortifier – 1 kg Fortifier – 1 kg Feeder – 200 ml Fortifier – 1 kg Feeder – 200 ml

Organic inputs for pests and disease in coconut trees

Tricit is a multipurpose pest management alternative to synthetic insecticides. It is non-hazardous and eco-friendly, with a formulation that is effective against a variety of pests and infections affecting coconut trees. Here are a few examples of the application of Tricit:

  • 1. Whitefly

    Use Tricit at a dosage of 4 ml per liter of water at the notice of initial incidence, and repeat application at 10-day intervals for better results.

  • 2. Eriophyid mites

    Spray Tricit at the dosage of 4 ml per liter of water frequently.

  • 3. Rhinoceros beetle

    Apply a mixture of sand, salt, and ash in the leaf axil, and spray a mixture of Tricit and kerosene in equal proportions.


  • 4. Stem bleeding

    Scrub the infected portion and apply a mixture of Tricit, Vidanga, and honey till symptom of stem bleeding stops, and finally, plaster the area with cow dung.


Application of suitable organic pesticides can prevent further damage to the coconut palm. In most cases, such incidences can be prevented by following and maintaining certain healthy coconut farming practices. Some of them are:

  • Cleanliness

    • Practice clean cultivation and maintain weed-free fields, which serve as the alternate host for pest and disease.
    • General cleanliness of the farm is very important to avoid insect and rodents damage. For instance, manure pits and farm waste should be kept away from the coconut field.
    • Crown cleaning is one of the most important practices of coconut growing to avoid pest and disease occurrence and spread.

  • Spacing & Intercrop

    • Adopt proper spacing and avoid overcrowding of plants to prevent the pest and disease spread.
    • Grow intercrop (sun hemp, four crops/year) and shelter belt with Casuarina all around the coconut garden to check further entry of eriophyid mite.
    • Avoid the cutting of green leaves. If needed, they should be cut about 120 cm away from the stem in order to prevent inward movement of the red palm weevil through the cut end.


  • Prophylactic Measure & Mulching

    • As a prophylactic measure, the first affected leaves may be cut and burned or buried in the soil.
    • Mulching the root zone of coconut palm with tamarind leaves suppresses weeds due to the allelopathic effect.

  • Termite Control

    • Planting arrowroot in the coconut nursery can decrease the incidence of termites since the root exudates of arrowroot are found to have some repellent effect on termites.
    • For termite control, copious irrigation and digging the termitaria should be done. Waste engine oil can be painted on the tree bark up to 40 cm height (from the bottom) to prevent termites in the coconut field.

Coconut harvesting 

In general, the nuts are harvested once in 3 to 4 months. However, in a well-maintained coconut farm, bunches are harvested once in two months. The coconuts normally take 10 to 12 months to mature from flowering stage. 



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