As a perennial crop, the life span of Coconut ranges from 70 to 100 years and they eat away a lot of nutrients from the soil to produce economic yield throughout the year. So we need to replace the lost nutrients coconut palms consume every year to keep them in good health.
Coconut is cultivated in various soil types, including lateritic and laterite, littoral coastal sand, red sandy loams, alluviums, coral, peaty and black soils, highly acidic soils, and strong calcareous soils. Except for alluvial soil, all the other soils have low native fertility and poor physical properties.
Coconut requires a continuous supply of nutrients throughout the year for sustainable production. Well-aerated and drained soil with a minimum depth of 80 to 100 cm, a soil pH range between 5 and near neutral, and a good capacity for holding water and nutrients are ideal for a good plantation. The requirement of nutrients is varied for different soil and climatic conditions.
Nutrient management in coconuts is a continuous process against limiting factors in various soil types. Balanced and integrated nutrient management is essential for realizing higher yields from the coconut plantation.
Most of the coconut growing areas experience high rainfall and prolonged dry spells cause leaching losses of silica and bases from parent material with accumulation of oxides of Iron and Aluminium. This leads to the formation of laterites, a dominant soil group under plantation crops.
As the Coconut palm produces inflorescence every month and fruits throughout the year, it is essential to supply water and nutrients throughout the year. It is estimated that 92 to 149 kg of Nitrogen, 12 to 20 kg of Phosphorus, and 119 to 183 kg of Potash is depleted approximately from one hectare of coconut every year. This indicates that potassium and Nitrogen are required in higher quantities for coconut production. The nutrients depleted from the soil have to be added to the soil by way of organic and inorganic fertilizers.
As the cost of fertilizers is shooting up, we have to follow the judicial application of the recommended dose of fertilizers, considering the status of nutrients in the soil. Soil health cards may be obtained from a reliable soil testing lab.
The deficiency of major nutrients like NPK plays a vital role in the health of coconut palms make susceptible to diseases. Micronutrients like Boron, Zinc Magnesium, Manganese, etc also, sometimes cause crucial deficiency diseases, though its requirement is very little.
Nutrient management integrating with organic, and inorganic fertilizers, soil conservation, and water management is the new approach for improving soil fertility and crop yield.
Integrated nutrient management includes the intelligent use of organic, inorganic, and online biological resources The interventions address a few key aspects of nutrient management, including improving organic matter in the soil, increasing plant-available nutrients, and supplying both organic and chemical fertilizers. These interventions have the potential to increase and sustain production levels, increase the economic potential of a production system, and counteract and minimize environmental pollution.
As mentioned earlier, the management of nutrients in coconut farming is very important considering the nature of coconut plantation.
Why nutrient management in coconut farming is important?
- Loss of nutrients through rainwater seepage, leaching, percolation, and other adverse weather conditions has to be replaced in the soil.
- Coconut is a perennial crop for a lifetime which utilizes nutrients and water for its growth, development, and yield.
- The depletion of nutrients in the soil caused by the continuous uptake of nutrients by the coconut palm is another factor affecting soil fertility.
- Coconut requires a continuous supply of nutrients throughout the year for sustainable production.
- Coconut palm produces inflorescence every month and fruits throughout the year, it is essential to supply water and nutrients throughout the year for sustainable production.
