Disease management

I. Basal stem rot - Ganoderma lucidum

Cultural Method

• Apply Bacillus subtilis (Pf1) @ 200 g/palm + Trichoderma viride @ 200 g/palm/year
• Apply 200g phosphobacteria and 200 g Azotobactor mixed with 50 Kg of FYM/palm
• Green manure crops must be raised and ploughed in situ
• Neem cake 5 kg/tree must be applied along with fertilizers

Chemical

• Aureofungin-sol 2 g + 1 g Copper sulphate in 100 ml water or 2 ml of Tridemorph in 100 ml water applied as root feeding. (The active absorbing root of pencil thickness must be selected and a slanting cut is made. The solution to be taken in a polythene bag or bottle and the cut end of the root should be dipped in the solution).

Forty litres of 1% Bordeaux mixture should be applied as soil drench around the trunk in a radius of 1.5 metre.

II. Bud rot - Phytophthora palmivora

The infective tissues from the crown region should be removed and protected with Bordeaux paste. Spray Bordeaux mixture at 1% or Copper oxy chloride 0.25 % on crown region as pre-monsoon spray. Spray Copper oxy chloride 0.25 % after the onset of monsoon.

III. Stem bleeding disease

The bark of the trunk should be removed in the bleeding area and Bordeaux paste should be applied in this area.

IV. Pencil point disease

Because of micronutrient deficiency, the stem will taper towards its tip with lesser number of leaves. The leaf size will be greatly reduced and the leaves will be pale and yellow in colour. Along with the recommended fertilizer dose, 225 g each of Borax, Zinc sulphate, Manganese sulphate, Ferrous sulphate, Copper sulphate and 10 g of Ammonium molybdate may be dissolved in 10 1 of water and poured in the basin of 1.5 m radius.

a. Preparation of 1% Bordeaux mixture

A quantity of 400 g of copper sulphate should be dissolved in 20 litres of water and 400 g of lime in another 20 litres of water separately. The copper sulphate solution should be added to the lime solution constantly stirring the mixture. Earthen or wooden vessels alone should be used and metallic containers should not be used. To find out whether the mixture is in correct proportion, a polished knife should be dipped in the mixture for one minute and taken out. If there is reddish brown deposit of copper, additional quantity of lime should be added till there is no deposit in the knife.

 b. Preparation of Bordeaux paste
Take 200 g of Copper sulphate and dissolve it in one litre of water and 200 g of lime in one litre of water separately. Both are mixed simultaneously in a third vessel and the resultant mixture can be used as a paste.

Harvest and post harvest technology
Harvest 11-12 months old fully matured nuts at an interval of 30-45 days depending on the yield level of the garden. For household use keep the nuts in vertical direction. Dry copra either by sun drying or by using copra dryers. Store the copra at 5-6 % moisture content. Store the copra in polythene tar coated gunny bags.

The diseases of the coconut palm are