Performance of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) hybrids for yield and quality in the Utkal plain region of Odisha state, India

S C Sahoo,A K Karna,S Sumitha,G Mishra,H P Maheswarappa

doi:10.25081/jpc.2021.v49.i2.7258

Abstract

Cocos nucifera L. is a perennial oil yielding crop with a long productive life span (>60 years); thus, identifying a suitable high yielding hybrid to a particular agro-climatic region plays a prime role in achieving sustainable coconut yield. In this context, an evaluation trial with varietal cross combinations involving Tall × Dwarf (six crosses) and Dwarf × Tall (two crosses) was conducted at All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Palms, Bhubaneshwar Centre, Odisha, for 15 years. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with four replications maintaining six palms per replication. Observations on yield and yield attributing characters during 2018 to 2020 revealed the superior performance of ECT × GBGD (99.1 nuts), which was followed by ECT × MYD (86.9 nuts) over the local check (ECT) by recording higher nut yield. Copra output per palm was significantly the highest under ECT × GBGD (20.6 kg palm-1), followed by LCT × COD (18.6 kg palm-1). Hybrids possessed a higher quantity of organoleptically ‘good’ tender nut water (270.3 to 354.1 mL) with TSS of 5.8 to 6.9 °Brix, 25.4 to 34.0 ppm of sodium and 2065.9 to 2885.0 ppm of potassium.

Highlights

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is one of the important plantation crops in Odisha state, India
The girth was significantly lower in GBGD × East Coast Tall (ECT) and GBGD × PHOT hybrids (89.2 and 87.2 cm), which might be due to dwarf female parents
15.9 15.7 18.6 17.6 16.2 20.6 14.5 16.6 12.0 0.28 0.87 influencing the nut yield, and in the present study, it was within the range from 31.5 to 38.7, and the maximum fruit set was obtained in ECT × GBGD and the lowest in WCT × MYD

Summary

Introduction

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is one of the important plantation crops in Odisha state, India. The palm height and stem girth at the age of 15 years varied significantly among different coconut hybrids (Table 2), and the cross combination, ECT × GBGD and GBGD × ECT, recorded the lowest palm height (4.2 m), while ECT × MYD recorded the highest palm height (4.9 m).

Results

Conclusion