Coconut - DOs and DON'Ts
DOs
- Select good mother palm
- Plant the seedlings in the right season
- Remove seed nuts that not germinated within 5 months
- Transplant 9-12 month old seedlings
- Fill up seedling pit with soil gradually every year by cutting from sides as the seedling grows
- Remove soil accumulating at the collar region of the seedlings during rains
- Adopt drip irrigation and fertigation wherever possible
- Apply balanced manures and fertilizers based on soil test valve
- Provision of proper drainage facilities to prevent bud rot
- Follow drip irrigation to prevent spread of Basal Stem Rot
- Follow waiting period of 45 days for each harvest when chemical pesticides are used
- Use plant products and biocontrol agents always for pest and disease management
- Hybrids should be grown under well managed conditions with assured irrigation
DON'Ts
- Trees growing closer to house holds, cattle shed, compost pits and other favourable conditions to be avoided for mother palm selection.
- Trees habitually producing barren nuts are to be avoided even though they may produce high yield for use as mother palm.
- Don’t collect immature nuts as seed nuts
- Avoid over crowding in storage.
- Avoid planting in rainy season in low lying areas.
- Avoid nursery in open area
- Avoid horizontal sowing and too close / wide planting
- Don’t transplant seedlings below 9 months and after 12 months of age.
- Don’t plough the garden frequently
- Excessive irrigation should be avoided
- Avoid non judicious use of fertilizers
- Avoid injuries to the stem/roots
- Don’t cut green leaves
- Don’t adopt flood irrigation
- Pheromone traps should not be placed in direct sunlight
- Do not grow hybrids in problem soils and water scarcity area.