Fig 1.1
Crop: Coconut
Scientific name : Cocus nucifera L
Common / Local Name :
Fig 1.2
Fig 1.3
Coconut is an important plantation crop of India, grown in more than 1.9 m.ha with an annual production of over 12 billion nuts. More than 10 million people mostly from peninsular India derive their livelihood securities from this crop. Coconut is attacked by a wide range of insect pests and diseases. This article discusses the nature of damage and management practices to be adopted for the major diseases of coconut in the Goa region. Some diseases are lethal to the tree and others reduce the growth and productivity of the palm. Among the many reported diseases, the following are the economically important ones.
Coconut palm loves a humid tropical climate and mainly cultivated in coastal areas receiving >2000mm rain fall. The crop is distributed between 20oN 20oS latitudes. Coconut is grown under different soil types such as loamy, laterite, coastal sandy, alluvial, clayey and reclaimed soils of the marshy low lands.
One year seedlings are used as planting material and planted on 1m3 pits at 7.5 m x 7.5 m.
Local varieties
West Coast Tall It is a tall variety and comes to bearing in 5-7 years
after planting. The palms are tall, robust and bear large green nuts but has wide range of variation in
size, shape and colour of nuts. The average yield 15000 nuts/ha, copra yield 36 q/ha and oil 25 q/ha.
It is commonly grown in Kerala, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Bihar, Andaman &
Nicobar Islands, Gujarat,
Lakshadweep and
Puducherry
East Coast Tall It is a tall variety suitable for production of copra
and tender nut. The palms are tall, compact and
bear medium sized oval shaped green nuts. The
average yield 14500 nuts/ha, copra yield 34 q /ha
and oil 22 q/ha.
Odisha, Assam, West Bengal,
Bihar, Andhra Pradesh,
Meghalaya and Tripura
Tiptur Tall It is a tall variety suitable for production of copra
and tender nut. It comes to bearing in 5-7 years
after planting. The palms are tall, robust. The
average yield 15050 nuts/ha, copra yield 37 q/ha
and oil 26 q/ha.
Karnataka
Andaman Ordinary It is a tall variety suitable for production of copra
and tender nut. It comes to bearing in 5-7 years
after planting. The palms are tall, robust and bear
large green nuts but has wide range of variation in
size, shape and colour of nuts. The average yield
16450 nuts/ha, copra yield 36 q/ha and oil 24 q/ha.
Kerala and
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Gangabondam It is a semi tall variety suitable for tender nut. It
comes to bearing in 5-7 years after planting. The
palms are tall, robust and bear large green nuts. The
average yield 16000 nuts/ha.
Andhra Pradesh
Chowghat Green
Dwarf
It is an early bearing cultivar and takes about
3-4 years for initial flowering. The average yield
14000 nuts/ha.
Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Odisha, Andaman & Nicobar
Islands, West Bengal, Goa,
Gujarat, Assam, Bihar and
Maharashtra
Malayan Orange
Dwarf
It is suitable for tender nut. This is an early flowering
cultivar and takes about 3-4 years for initial
flowering. It gives 400 ml of tender nut water/nut.
The average yield 16000 nuts/ha.
Kerala, Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh,
Tamil Nadu, Odisha,
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
and West Bengal
Name of Variety Salient Features Recommended States
Malayan Green
Dwarf
This is an early flowering cultivar and takes
about 3-4 years for initial flowering. It gives
370 ml of tender nut water/nut. The average
yield 16250 nuts/ha.
Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha
and West Bengal
Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, Kerala
Kalpa Pratibha It is suitable for tender nut and copra. The variety
is a regular bearer, relatively tolerant to drought. The
nuts are large, round in shape and predominantly
green in colour. The quality of tender nut water is
good with 5.5 g total sugars/100ml, 1.1 mg free amino
acids/100 ml, 2150 ppm potassium and 21.7 ppm
sodium. The quantity of tender nut water is 448 ml/
nut. The average yield 15874 nuts/ha, copra yield 41
q/ha and oil 27 q/ha.
Kerala, Karnataka,
Maharashtra and
Tamil Nadu
Kalpa Dhenu It is a regular bearer, relatively tolerant to drought.
The palms are tall, robust and bear large, green nuts.
The tender nut water of this variety contains 4.92g
total sugars/100 ml, 1.3 mg free amino acids/100
ml, 2650 ppm potassium and 24.6 ppm sodium. It
commences flowering in 67 months after planting.
The quantity of tender nut water is 290 ml/nut. The
average yield 15012 nuts/ha, copra yield 37 q/ha and
oil 24 q/ha.
Kerala, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu
and Andaman & Nicobar
Islands
Kalpa Mitra It is a regular bearer, relatively tolerant to drought
and produces large, yellowish green, oval shaped
nuts. The variety is suited for west coast region of
the country and West Bengal. Suitable for ball copra.
The tender nut water of this variety contains 5.7g
total sugars/100 ml, 1.3 mg free amino acids/100
ml, 2150 ppm potassium and 23.5 ppm sodium. The
quantity of tender nut water is 495 ml. The average
yield 13973 nuts/ha, copra yield 34 q/ha and oil 22 q/
ha.
Kerala, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu
and West Bengal
Kalparaksha A high yielding coconut variety with field resistance
to coconut root (wilt) disease. This is a semi tall
variety with sweet tender nut water. It comes to
flowering by 54 months from planting. The quantity
of tender nut water is 290 ml. The average yield
15225 nuts/ha, copra yield 33 q/ha and oil 21q/ha.
Kerala
Kalpa Samrudhi It is a superior hybrid (MYD x WCT). This hybrid
has good tender nut water quality with TSS 6° Brix
and quantity (346 ml/ nut) and has been found to
be relatively drought tolerant compared to other
released hybrids. The average yield 20475 nuts/ha,
copra yield 45 q/ha and oil 30 q/ha under rainfed
condition.
Kerala and Assam
Commercial Varieties of Plantation Crops
Name of Variety Salient Features Recommended States
Kalpa Sankara This coconut hybrid (CGD x WCT) has tolerance to
root (wilt) disease. The palms are semi tall in nature,
precocious bearing and relatively higher yield in root
(wilt) diseased tracts. The average yield 14700 nuts/ha,
copra yield 25 q/ha and oil 17 q/ha.
Kerala
Kalpasree It is mainly for tender nut. This variety was
developed by selection from Chowghat Green
Dwarf population in the root (wilt) disease hotspot
regions of Kerala. It gives superior quality coconut
oil, sweet tender nut water (240 ml per nut) and
sweet meat (kernel). The tender water contains
total sugars 4.80 g/ml, potassium 150 ppm, sodium
22.40 ppm with a TSS of 4.80 Brix. The average
yield 15750 nuts/ha, copra yield 15 q/ha and oil
17 q/ha.
Kerala
Kalpatharu It is a selection from Tiptur Tall accession, suitable
for ball copra production. The average yield
20300 nuts/ha, copra yield 35 q/ha and oil 25 q/ha.
Karnataka, Kerala and
Tamil Nadu
Chandra Kalpa It is relatively drought tolerant compared to the
other varieties and hybrids. The palm grows in all
types of soil and can withstand moisture stress. The
average yield 16975 nuts/ha, copra yield 33 q/ha
and oil 23 q/ha.
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Kerala and
Karnataka
Kera Chandra A high yielding variety. This variety gives an estimated
yield of 3.81 tons copra/ha, 2.52 tons oil/ha. The
average yield 19250 nuts/ha, copra yield 38 q/ha and
oil 25 q/ha.
Kerala, Karnataka,
Maharashtra,
Andhra Pradesh and
West Bengal
Chowghat Orange
Dwarf
It is a best cultivar for use as tender nut. This is an
early flowering cultivar and takes about 3-4 years for
initial flowering. It gives 350 ml of tender nut water/
nut. The average yield 14525 nuts/ha.
Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Odisha, Andaman & Nicobar
Islands, West Bengal, Goa,
Gujarat, Assam, Bihar and
Maharashtra
Kera Sankara The palm comes to bearing by the fourth year of
planting. This is a T×D hybrid (WCT x COD). The
average yield 18550 nuts/ha, copra yield 37 q/ha
and oil 25 tons/ha.
Kerala, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Karnataka
Chandra Sankara The average yield 19250 nuts/ha, copra yield
40 q/ha and oil 27 q/ha.
Kerala, Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu
Chandra Laksha It is a hybrid (LCT x COD) comes to bearing in about
4-5 years after planting. The average yield 19075
nuts/ha, copra yield 37 q/ha and oil 26 q/ha.
Kerala, Lakshadweep and
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
VPM-3 This is a selection from Andaman Ordinary Tall. The
average yield 92 nuts/tree. Average weight of nut
176 g having 70% oil content.
Tamil Nadu
ALR(CN)-1 This is a selection from Arasampatti Tall.
The average yield 125 nuts/tree. The yield of
copra 131 g/nut having 66.5% oil content.
Tamil Nadu
CHECKLIST OF COMMERCIAL VARIETIES OF Plantation crops
of Variety Salient Features Recommended States
VHC1 This is a hybrid of East Coast Tall × Malayan Green
Dwarf. The average yield 115 nuts/tree. The yield of
copra 142 g/nut having 69% oil content.
Tamil Nadu
VHC 2 This is a hybrid of East Coast Tall × Malayan Green
Dwarf. The average yield 142 nuts/tree. The yield of
copra 152 g/nut having 70% oil content.
Tamil Nadu
VHC 3 This is a hybrid of East Coast Tall × Malayan Orange
Dwarf. The average yield 156 nuts/tree. The average
of copra 162 g/nut having 70% oil content.
Tamil Nadu
Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, Gujarat
Kerasagara This is a selection from Seychelles (SE Asia). The
average yield 99 nuts/tree. The average yield of
copra 203 g/nut having 68% oil content.
Kerala
Coconut Hybrid
Mahuva
This is a hybrid of Tall X Dwarf. The average yield 43
nuts/tree.
Gujarat
Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Maharashtra
Pratap This is a selection from Banawali. The average yield
150 nuts/tree. The average yield of copra 152 g/nut
having 59% oil content.
Maharashtra
Banawali This is a pure line selection. The average yield 120
nuts/tree.
Maharashtra
Konkan Bhatye
Coconut Hybrid-1
The average yield 122 nuts/tree. The oil content of
copra 65%.
Maharashtra
Indira Gandhi Agriculture University, Raipur, chhattisgarh
Indira Nariyal-1 The average yield 85 nuts/tree. The copra yield 2 t/ha. Chhattisgarh
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam
Kamrup The average yield 106 nuts/tree. The average yield
of copra 162 g/nut.
Assam
Kahikuchi Coconut
Hybrid-1
The average yield 122 nuts/tree. The oil content of
copra 65%.
Andhra Pradesh
Dr. Y.S.R. Horticultural University, Tadepalligudem, Andhra Pradesh
Gauthami Ganga The average yield is 90 nuts/tree. The average yield
of copra 157g/nut having oil content 68%.
Chhattisgarh, Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra and
Tamil Nadu
Godavari Ganga This is a hybrid from East Coast Tall × Gangabondam.
The average yield is 140 nuts/tree. Average yield of
copra 153 g/nut having oil content 67%.
Andhra Pradesh
Kera Bastar The average yield 110 nuts/tree. The average yield
of copra 180 g/nut having oil content of 68.7%.
Chhattisgarh, Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra and
Tamil Nadu
Coconut Research Station, Veppankulam, Kerala
Kera Keralam The average yield 147 nuts/tree. The average yield
of copra 164 g/nut having oil content of 64%.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and
West Bengal
Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala
Keraganga This is a hybrid from West Coast Tall ×
Gangabondam. The average yield 100 nuts/tree. The
yield of copra 201 g/nut having oil content of 69%.
Kerala
Commercial Varieties of Plantation Crops
Name of Variety Salient Features Recommended States
Anandaganga This is a hybrid between Andaman Ordinary ×
Gangabondam. The average yield 95 nuts/tree. The
yield of copra 216 g/nut having oil content of 68%.
Kerala
Kerasree This is a hybrid between West Coast Tall × Malayan
Yellow Dwarf. The average yield 130 nuts/tree. The
yield of copra 216 g/nut having oil content of 66%.
Kerala
Kerasowbhagya This is a hybrid between West Coast Tall × SSA.
The average yield 116 nuts/tree. The yield of
copra 196 g/nut having oil content of 65%.
Kerala
NKalyani Coconut-1 The average yield 180 nuts/tree. The yield of
copra 154 g/nut having oil content of 66%.
The transplanted seedlings need to be shaded and irrigated adequately during the summer months. Staking is required to protect from winds.. For the first two years after planting, irrigate the seedling twice a week during the dry summer months. Shading is a must to the transplanted seedlings.
A variety of intercrops like pineapple, banana, elephant-foot yam, groundnut, amaranthus, sweet potato, tapioca and different vegetables can be raised in coconut garden. In older plantation cocoa, cinnamon, pepper, clove, nutmeg etc. can be grown as mixed crops.
However, these inter/mixed crops are to be adequately and separately manured in addition to the manures applied to the coconut palm
Rhinoceros beetle: Oryctes rhinoceros
Symptoms of damage
The damaged leaves show characteristic diamond or V shaped cuttings.
Central spindle appears cut or toppled.
The infestation can be easily made out by the chewed fibrous material present on near bore holes.
Identification of the pest
Grub: Grub is stout, sluggish, white “C?shaped with pale brown head.
Adult: Adult beetle is stout, brownish black or black and has a long horn.
Management
Collect and destroy the various life stages of the beetle from the manure pits.
Extracting adult beetles from the infested trees
Remove and burn all dead coconut trees in the garden
Prophylactic leaf axil filling with 25g Sevin with 200g sand or 8-10 naphthalene balls per palm to repelled the pest.
Place phorate 10 G 5 g in perforated sachets in two inner most leaf axils for 2 times at 6 months intervals
Incorporate the entomopathogenic fungus Metarrhizium anisopliae in manure pits.
Treat the breeding sites (cow dung /compost pits) with 0.02% carbaryl.
Set up rhinolure pheromone trap @ 1 per ha to trap and kill the beetles.
Red palm weevil: Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Symptoms of damage
Small holes with protruding chewed fibrous material and brownish ooze on the tree trunk.
In the advanced stage of attack the central shoot shows sign of wilting and drying.
Identification of the pest
Grub:Light yellow in colour without legs
Adult: The reddish brown weevil has six dark spots on thorax and in the male the conspicuous long snout has a tuft of hairs.
Management
The dying and already damaged palms should be removed and destroyed.
Avoid making of wounds on the palms.
Plug all holes and inject pyrocone E or carbaryl 1% or 10 ml of monocrotophos into the stem by drilling a hole above the points of attack.
Install pheromone trap @ 1 per ha
Hang the traps under shade of palm/tree canopy at one metre height above the ground.
It is essential to change the food bait (coconut petiole) and insecticide solution at least once in 10 days and also discard the trapped weevils from the bucket.
Replace the pheromone when most of the chemical is exhausted and only less than five per cent of the lure is intact.
Coconut Eriophyid mite: Aceria guerreronis
Symptoms of damage
- Appearance of pale white or yellow, inverted triangular patches just below the perianth.
- Longitudinal fissures and splits occur on the outer surface of the husk.
- Oozing of the gummy exudation from the affected surface.
- Severe infestation leads to malformed nuts with hardened husk, resulting in reduced copra and fibre yield.
Management
- Apply neem cake @ 5 kg and organic manure 50 kg/palm/ year.
- Apply Borax 50 g + gypsum 1.0kg + Manganese sulphate 0.5 kg/palm/ year.
- Triazophos 40 EC 5 ml/lit or monocrotophos 36 WSC @ 2 ml / lit or carbosulfan 25
- EC 2 ml/ lit in alternation with neem azal 1% 5ml/lit as spot application
- Root feeding with Monocrotophos 36 WSC @ 15ml / 15 ml of water.
- Spraying of affected palms with a mixture of 2 per cent neem oil, garlic and soap mixture has been found to be effective.
1. Bud rot (Phytophthora palmivora)
Palms of all ages are susceptible to this disease, but more severe in the young palms of 5-20 years. The tree is killed if not treated during early stage of infection. High rainfall, high humidity and wounds caused by tappers and rhincerous beetle favour the disease development.
Symptoms
- Yellowing and withering of one or two young leaves.
- Brown / black spots on the spindle leaves, withering and drooping of spindle.
- Rotting of internal tissues in the affected areas with foul smell and death of the spindle.
- Affected spindle can easily be pulled out.
Management
- Remove the infected tissues, clean the dead tissues from tree base of the spindle and apply 10% Bordeaux paste to the wounds / cut ends.
- Cover the treated bud with protective covering till the normal shoot emerges.
- Spray 1% Bordeaux mixture to the crowns of adjoining trees as prophylactic measure before the onset of monsoon.
- In the case of advanced stage of infection, cut and burn the affected palms.
2. Stem bleeding (Thielaviopsis paradoxa)
This disease affects the vigour of the tree and reduces the yield. The tree is not killed in the early infection; but become uneconomical to maintain and in extreme cases trees may become barren and die. The disease is found severe in laterite soil and sandly loam soils on the sea shore.
Symptoms
- Oozing out of dark reddish brown liquid from the longitudinal cracks present on the stem.
- The exudates eventually dry up to form black encrustations with brownish orange margin.
- Development of dark brown patches on the basal portion of the trunk.
- Rotting of the tissues beneath the discoloured patch, become black, fibrous and cavity formation.
Management
- Remove the affected bark tissue and apply hot coal tar or Bordeaux paste to protect the wound.
- Root feeding of 5% Calixin, 3 times in a year.
- Drench 0.1% Calixin at 25 litre / tree once in every 2 months.
- Avoid any mechanical injury while doing intercultivation.
- Apply 5 kg neem cake /palm/year.
Irrigate the palm during summer season.
3. Ganoderma wilt (Ganoderma lucidum)
The trees in the age group of 10-30 years are easily affected. The pathogen infects through the roots and the tree succumbs to the disease in 2-3 years. Sandy and sandy loam soils, water logging during heavy rains, low moisture content during summer favour the disease development.
Symptoms
- Outer leaves turn yellow followed by drooping leaving alone the spindle.
- Drooping of outer leaf fronds which remain hanging around the trunk for several months before shedding.
- Exudation of reddish brown viscous fluid from the basal portion of the stem, which extends upwards upto 3 m.
- Internal rotting and discoloration in the stem.
- Appearance of sporophores (bracket) at the base of the trunk, just above the soil level prior to wilting/ just after the death of the palms.
- Roots of wilting trees show discolouration and severe rotting.
Management
- Remove dead palms and palms in advanced stages of the disease.
- Isolate diseased palms from healthy palms by digging isolation trenches of 1 m deep and 30 cm wide.
- Avoid flood irrigation and provide regular basin irrigation during summer.
- Apply 50 kgs farmyard manure + 5 kg neem cake/palm/year.
- Grow banana as intercrop wherever possible.
- Soil drenching of 1% Bordeaux mixture @ 40 litres/palm thrice in a year.
- Root feeding of 2 g Aureofungin- sol + 1 g CuSO4 in 100 ml of water or Calixin (2ml / 100ml) at quarterly interval.
4. Root (wilt) disease (Phytoplasma)
The disease is not lethal but debilitating and palms of all age groups are affected. The disease is present in all types of soil and the spread is faster in sandy and sandy loam soils and water logged low lying areas near to rivers and canals.
Symptoms
- Conspicuous bending of the middle and outer whorls of leaves and the characteristics ribbing of leaflets termed as ‘flaccidity?
- Foliar yellowing as marginal necrosis in adult diseased palms.
- Abnormal shedding of female flowers and immature nuts.
- Roots show rotting from tip backwards and the older roots show cracks and blotches.
- Palm susceptible to leaf rot disease and gradual reduction in yield.
Management
- Remove severely infected, uneconomic and young disease affected palms.
- Control the leaf rot disease by following the recommended practices.
- Application of balanced dose of fertilizers; 50 kg organic manure + NPK 500:300:1000 g/palm/year in two splits; 1/3rd during May-June and 2/3rd during September ? October + 1 kg MgSO4.
- Growing of green manure crops and incorporating during August ?September.
- Provide summer irrigation and follow suitable inter and mixed crop farming for organic recycling
5. Leaf rot (Many fungi)
Palms of all ages are susceptible but more severe on palms below 25 years. The disease does not kill the palm outright; however its progress in the spindle/crown will kill the growing tip if not treated. The disease is reported as severe in root wilt infected palms. High humidity, low temperature and high dose of nitrogenous fertilizers favour the disease incidence.
Symptoms
- Water soaked lesions in the distal ends of leaflets of spindle and younger leaves.
- Lesions enlarge, coalesce leads to rotting into the interior of the spindle.
- Rotten portions dry up, turn black, break and blown off in the wind giving a fan like appearance to the affected leaflet.
- Decayed young leaflets are glued together so that the spindle does not open out.
Management
- Remove and clean the rotten portion of the spindle and adjacent two innermost fully opened leaves.
- Pour fungicide solution of Hexaconazole ?2 ml or Mancozeb (3g/300 ml water) per palm into the cavity around the base of spindle leaf.
- Apply 20 g Phorate 10G mixed with 200g sand around the base to avoid injury by rhinocerous beetle.
- Continue the above treatments 2? times in a year.
- The same treatment may be given to all healthy palms also twice a year as a prophylactic measure.
- Proper nutrient and water management reduce the disease severity.
6. Spindle rot
During the last few years, reports of rotting of spindle have been made by the coconut farmers from the hinter lands of Goa. Unlike bud rot which is prevalent during the monsoon, this spindle rot has been reported throughout the year with a higher incidence during summer months.
Work done at the Institute revealed that ******
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