Narrowing the Yield Gap of Coconut (Cocos Nucifera L.) Through Integrated Nutrient Management in the Philippines: An On-Farm Experiment Approach

Abstract

Over the years, coconut farmers are facing an inherent problem of low productivity in the Philippines due to the senile palms, poor agronomic practices, and other environmental factors. Fertilizer application is not typically practiced in most coconut plantations resulting in yield gaps of 31 to 87% between farmers’ fields and well-managed farms. We aimed to show the potential of integrated nutrient management (INM) in improving coconut productivity and narrowing the yield gap. In this study, five fertilizer treatments viz. T1 - farmer’s practice, T2 - 100% Philippine Coconut Authority’s recommended fertilizer rate (RFR) at two equal splits, applied semi-annually, T3 - 100% RFR at four equal splits, applied quarterly, T4 - 1/2 RFR at two equal splits, applied semi-annually plus one-time application of MykoVAM™, and T5 - 1/2 RFR at four equal splits, applied quarterly plus one-time application of MykoVAM™ were tested in four provinces to represent the four climate conditions in the Philippines. Each experimental site was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Nut yields from the on-farm experiments were used to analyze the different yield levels and yield gaps. The actual yields were lower than the attainable yields across all the locations. In terms of nut yield, Northern Samar had the highest yield gap of 68%, while Zamboanga City had the lowest yield gap with 21% difference. The exploitable yield gaps were 8,113, 9,408, 2,649 and 3,203 nuts/ha in Palawan, Northern Samar, Zamboanga City and Davao City, respectively. Results suggested that the indigenous soil nutrient content in the farmer’s field was not sufficient to supply the nutrient requirement of the crop compared to the attainable yield. INM has a potential in improving the nut yield. Thus, nutrient management plays a key role in closing the yield gap and in achieving high productivity.