FARMING

How to select seeds : Seeds selected from high-yielding stock with desirable traits. Seednuts should be medium-sized and nearly spherical in shape. After fully mature nuts are picked, and not allowed to fall, they are tested by shaking to listen for water within. Under ripe, spoiled, those with no water, or with insect or disease damage are discarded.

Seeds Preparing : Nuts are planted right away in nursery or stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated shed until they can be planted. Soaking nuts in water for 1-2 weeks before planting may benefit germination.

Nursery bed preparing : In preparation of nursery beds, they should be dug and loosened to a depth of 30 cm. Loosened soil mixed with dried or rotten leaves and ash from burnt fresh coconut husks at a rate of 25 lbs. of husk-ash per 225 sq. ft. Nuts spaced in beds 22 x 30 cm, a hectare of nursery accommodating 100,000 seednuts. Soil should be sandy or light loamy, free from water logging, but close to source of water, and away from heavy shade.

Planting : It can be planted any time of the year, but preferably at start of rainy season. In areas with only one rainy season per year, it is simpler to plant nuts in nursery in one rainy season, and transplants them a year later. Nuts planted horizontally produce better seedlings than those planted vertically. The germinating eye is placed uppermost in a shallow furrow, about 15 cm deep, and soil mounded up around, but not completely covering them, leaving the eye exposed. Bright sunlight is best for growing stout sturdy seedlings. Watering amount and frequency depending on local conditions. Mulching sometimes used to preserve moisture and suppress weeds. Potash fertilizer helps seedling growth, and probably do not need other fertilizers as nut provides most of needed nutrition. About 16 weeks after nut is planted, the shoot appears through the husk, and at

Transplanting : Actually, the plant can be successfully transplanted at any period in their growth but usually 7-8 month old seedlings are used for transplants. Best spacing depends upon soil and terrain. Usually 9-10 m on the square is used, planting 70-150 trees/ha; with triangular spacing of 10 m, 115 palms/ha; and for group or bouquet planting, 3-6 palms planted 4-5 m apart (dwarf varieties are planted at 7-8 m, hybrids at 8-8.5 m and tall varieties at 9-10 m spacing). Planting holes of 1 m wide and deep should be dug 1-3 months before seedlings are transplanted. Two layers of coconut husks are put into bottom of hole before filling with the topsoil mixed ash. Muriate of potash, 1 kg per hole, is better than ash, but increases cost of planting. In planting, soil should be well-packed around nut, but should not cover collar of seedling, nor get into leaf axils. The new tree should be watered immediately after planting and frequently thereafter until it is well established.Young plantation should be fenced to protect plants from damage from cattle, goats, or other wild animals. At end of first year after transplanting, vacancies should be filled with plants of same age held in reserve in nursery. Also any slow-growers, or disease-damaged plants should be replaced. General fertilizer recommended, used with suitable local modifications, would consist of 230-300 g N, 260-460 g P2O5, and 300-670 g K2O per palm. Application of lime is not generally recommended. Cultivation depends on soil type, slope of land, and rainfall distribution; often disk-harrowing at end of monsoon rains to control weeds is all that is necessary.