Abstract
A critical evaluation of nutritional factors involved in coconut productivitywas carried out during 1991-1994. West Coast Tall palms aged 25to 35 years varying in yield from 6 to 163 nuts per year growing in threelocations viz. Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pilicode, AgriculturalResearch Station, Mannuthy and Coconut Research Station, Balaramapuramunder regular management constituted the experimental material. The relationshipof individual nutrient contents in respect of 10 elements were workedout. First order nutrient ratios in respect of these elements were also studied.The results showed that continuous use of conventional fertilizers have leadto a stage of negative response for them. It also indicated that deficiency ofnon recommended and non applied elements like Mg and S and excess ofCa, Fe and Mn limits coconut yield. This points to importance of balancednutrition for problem management and better productivity in coconut.
Highlights
Nutritional management is recognised as the most important genera tive means of yield in any crop
More or less exclusive confinement to application of N, P and K is based on the concept of their possible limiting influences on the one side and possible native sufficiency of others. This does not take into ac count the negative interactions among elements at secondary and micro nu trient level nor the possible antagonistic effects of natural accumulation of Deputy Director, Coconut Development Board, Kochi -16 Professor of Agronomy, Horticultural College, Vellanikkara Director of Extension, Kerala Agricultural University Vellanikkara
Experimental materi als consisted of 800 selected west coast tall palms, maintained in laterite soil conditions at Regional Agricultural Research Station Pilicode, Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy and in red soil at Coconut Research Station, Balaramapuram ranging in yield from 6 to 163 nuts/palm/year, aged 30 to 40 years
Summary
Nutritional management is recognised as the most important genera tive means of yield in any crop. More or less exclusive confinement to application of N, P and K is based on the concept of their possible limiting influences on the one side and possible native sufficiency of others This does not take into ac count the negative interactions among elements at secondary and micro nu trient level nor the possible antagonistic effects of natural accumulation of Deputy Director, Coconut Development Board, Kochi -16 Professor of Agronomy, Horticultural College, Vellanikkara Director of Extension, Kerala Agricultural University Vellanikkara. Specific elements due to removal or the possibility of one or the other ele ment becoming insufficient in course of time. This is especially so in a crop like coconut which depends on the same soil volume for many decades for its nourishment and with zero recycling of its own parts. Low na tional productivity of 33 nuts/palm/year in place of potential of over 100 nuts/palm/year necessitates a total nutritional approach for health and pro ductivity of palms! The significance and urgency of such an approach has been brought out in this-paper based on the experimental results generated from regularly well managed palms
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