Coconut Cultivation in India: Top Varieties and Major Producing States

Table of Contents

• Coconut Farming in India
• Cultivation Process of Coconut in India

• • Soil and Climate Requirements
  • Land Preparation
  • Plant Spacing Pattern
  • Planting
  • Care of Young Palms
  • Intercropping
  • Weed Management
  • Pest and Disease Management
  • Harvesting

• Top Varieties of Coconut
• Major Producing States of Coconut in India
• Summing Up

Coconut Farming in India

Coconut production is vital for India’s economy. The farmers in India grow coconuts in large numbers in their coconut farms, so coconuts are one of the sources of their livelihoods. According to the Coconut Board of India, the total coconut production in India accounted for 20,535.88 million nuts in 2022-2023. There are many uses of coconuts in India, including food, soaps, hair oils, cosmetics, food and beverage, medicines, fuel, and roofing. Moreover, ropes, mats, brushes, mattresses, and other items are also made from the coconut husk. Coconut flour, coconut milk, and coconut oil are eaten in its natural state. In some regions of the country, the tree’s sap is used to manufacture sugar, jaggery, and a traditional beverage. Now, let’s understand the entire process of coconut cultivation.

Cultivation Process of Coconut in India

The cultivation process of coconut requires proper care and maintenance. Let’s look at the important factors and understand how to plant a coconut tree by following several steps.

Soil and Climate Requirements

Coconut best grows in red sandy loam, alluvial, and laterite soils with a minimum depth of 1.2 m and fairly good water-holding capacity. Coconuts require the proper amount of moisture through rainfall or irrigation facilities for growth. It can be grown in soil with a pH of 5.2 – 8.6. The climate with high humidity is ideal for the coconut; however, it is a perennial crop. The temperature it requires is 27°C with 5-7°C diurnal variation.

Land Preparation

The preparation of land depends upon several factors, such as the topography of the land and soil type. The planting holes for coconut planting should be marked in appropriate spaces. If the land is slopy, it is important to adopt soil conservation methods. In hilly regions, contour terracing or bunding should be adopted. If the groundwater level is high, the planting should be done in mounds. In low-lying areas and rice fields, mounds are formed to a height of at least 1 m above water level.

Plant Spacing Pattern

There are different plant spacing patterns according to the variety, such as tall, dwarf and hybrid. Following the spacing of 7.5 x 7.5 m with 175 plants/ha is ideal for tall varieties, whereas a spacing of 8.5 x 8.5 m is optimum for hybrids. A dwarf variety needs a spacing of 6.5 x 6.5 m follow 20 ft. spacing between plants for planting in the field border as a single row.

There are four methods of plant spacing as follows:

• Triangular Spacing
• Square Spacing
• Single Hedge Spacing
• Double Hedge Spacing

When a hedge planting pattern is followed, the rows should be aligned in a north-south direction, and the seedlings should be planted as in the triangular system.

Planting

May to July is the ideal planting season for the coconut. Based on the selected plant spacing method, dig the pit of 3 X 3 X 3 ft. Fill the pit with FYM at a height of 2 ft. Fertilizer with 500:320:1200 g N, P₂O₅, and K₂O per palm per year is recommended. The coconut seedlings are planted in the center of the pit. Two layers of coconut husk (with a concave surface facing up) can be arranged at the bottom of the pit before filling up. This will help in conserving the moisture. Regular manuring is important after the first year of planting. A 20-50 kg organic manure is required per palm per year with the onset of the southwest monsoon when the soil moisture content is high. The soil around the seedlings must be firmly pressed, but the soil covering the collar region of the seedling must be removed. The coconut tree becomes fruit-bearing in 4-5 years. In rain-fed conditions, apply fertilizers in two split doses, 1/3rd at the time of early southwest monsoon showers in April-June and 2/3rd in September-October.

Care of Young Palms

The care of young coconut palms is necessary for their proper growth and development. At the early or young stage, the palms need special care and attention to become fruit-bearing without any difficulty. The first point to consider is that the coconut palms should get enough water. For the first two years from planting, irrigate @ 45 litres of water per seedling, once in 4 days, during dry summer months. Provide proper shading and staking to the palms so that winds may not uproot the young seedlings. The young palms of coconut should also be protected from pests and weeds. Moreover, the fencing is needed to protect them from animals.

Intercropping

Always choose the crops for intercropping based on the climatic conditions, soil type and irrigation facilities. The other points to be considered are canopy size, age and spacing of the coconut. The following are the best crops for intercropping based on the age of the coconut:

• Early Stage: Turmeric, banana, and sesame are the best crops to grow as intercrops with coconut at the early age of below 5 years. Avoid crops like paddy and sugarcane.
• Young Stage: The different types of grasses, like Napier grass and guinea grass, are the best options as intercrops with coconut in this stage. This is the period of typically 5-20 years of age.
• Adult Stage: Depending upon the soil and climatic suitability, the cocoa, pepper and nutmeg are the best intercrops in the adult stage.

Weed Management

Weed management is crucial for the proper development of the coconut. Keep the pits free from weeds by doing periodic weeding. Remove the soil if the seedlings are covered with collars. As the seedlings grow and form stems, fill up the pits gradually by cutting the sides. Proper inter-cultivation also helps control weeds and creates soil mulch. The interspacing should be ploughed twice in a year.

Pest and Disease Management

Harvesting

Coconuts become mature in 11-12 months. However, the harvesting time may vary from area to area. 11 months old nuts are used for the main coconut products like coconut oil, food, etc. and further is used in the manufacturing of coir fibre. Usually, the nuts are harvested 6 to 10 times a year. The coconut plant lasts for around 65 years. Ripen coconuts are a good source of all the coconut products. Skilled personnel are traditionally employed for climbing palms for harvesting nuts.

Top Varieties of Coconut

There are three varieties of coconut, namely tall, dwarf, and hybrid varieties. Let’s have a look at each of the following varieties below:

Major Producing States of Coconut in India

According to the Coconut Development Board of India, the following are the major coconut-producing states in terms of production and area in 2022-23:

Summing Up

Now we have come to the end of this blog, we hope that we have helped you with the entire process of coconut cultivation, from planting to harvesting, with proper steps. We have also covered the top varieties and major coconut-producing states of India to help you better understand them. If you want to invest in a coconut farming business, we suggest you start with proper dedication and capital for better profits. For further information related to agriculture, stay tuned with Tractorkarvan.