Performance of Coconut Hybrids Dwarf X Bido Tall

Abstract

The desirable future coconut variety characteristics should include (1) short trunk and low height increment, (2) early bearing, (3) high nut yield, and (4) high neera (coconut sugar sap). High yoelding but short coconut palm statures make it easy to harvest the nuts and tap the neera. The Dwarf coconut varieties are generally early bearing with a low height increment and plenty nuts per fruit bunch. The Bido tall coconut bears fruits as early as three years after planting and with high nut yield, a low height increment and a very short trunk. This study aims to evaluate early vegetative growth (2 – 3 years after planting) of eight coconut hybrids derived from combinations of Dwarfs x Bido tall hybridizations. The arrays of hybrid coconuts consisted of hybridization between three Dwarf coconut varieties by Bido tall generated in 2016, and those between five Dwarf coconut varieties by Bido tall generated in 2017. The KHINA-1 hybrid was used as the standard hybrid control. Results of the evaluation showed the evaluated Waingapu Red Dwarf x Bido tall hybrids have the largest stem girth and the highest plant heightOn the other hand, Aromatic Green Dwarf x Bido tall hybrids showed the highest leaf numbers. However, all hybrid combinations showed the same stem girth diameter at two years after planting. At two and three years after planting, the Raja Brown Dwarf x Bido tall hybrids were the tallest, while the Nias Yellow Dwarf x Bido tall coconut hybrids have the highest leaf number. All of the Dwarf x Bido tall coconut hybrids showed good vegetative performance at two and three years after planting. The differences in early vegetative performances among the evaluated Dwarf x Bido tall might indicate the differences in early bearing, high nut yield and high neera characters of the hybrids.