Potential coconut (Cocos nucifera) hybrids for yield and quality for coastal region of Andhra Pradesh (India)

Abstract

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is a perennial plantation crop which has a very long productive period thus identification of suitable hybrid to a particular agro-climatic region play an important role in achieving higher and sustained yields. In this context, an evaluation trial with different coconut cross combinations involving ECT × MGD (VHC 1), GBGD × ECT (Konkan Bhatye Coconut hybrid-1), GBGD × FJT (Kalpa Ganga), GBGD × PHOT, GBGD × LCOT and ECT × GBGD (Godavari Ganga) was conducted at All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Palms, Ambajipeta center for a period of two and half decades.The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with four replications maintaining six palms per replication. With regard to growth characters,the cross combination GBGD × FJT recorded significantly the lowest plant height (7.4 m) while the maximum palm girth of 123.8cm was recorded with VHC 1.Observations on yield and yield attributing traits (average of 6 years) revealed the superior performance of GBGD × PHOT and GBGD × LCOT hybrids over the existing hybrid check (ECT × GBGD) by recording higher nut yield, copra output and oil yield. Significantly higher nut yield per palm was recorded in GBGD × LCOT(135.8 nuts) and it was on par with GBGD × PHOT (125.4 nuts). Copra content per annum and estimated oil yield was the highest in GBGD × PHOT (23.7 kg/palm and 16.2 kg/palm, respectively and it was on par with GBGD × LCOT (22.1kg/palm and 15.0 kg/palm respectively). GBGD × PHOT recorded significantly maximum tender nut water content (385.0 ml/ tender nut) and TSS of 6.20 Brix over other hybrids.