Effect of Cropping Systems and Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth and Yield of Coconut in Littoral Sand

Abstract

An experiment was carried out in a 38 years old coconut plantation of Sakhigopal Local Tall variety at All India Coordinated Research Project on palms, Konark (OUAT) during July 2017 to June 2019. The treatments comprised of three cropping system and three integrated nutrient management practices. The experiment was laid out in a Split Plot Design with three replications. The studies revealed that adoption of cropping system of coconut + sapota + pineapple with application of green manuring + biofertilizers + organic recycling + soil test based nutrients NPK (chemical fertilizers) application significantly increase the number of female flowers (245.83/palm/year), nut yield (65.21/palms/year), weight of whole nut (1206.54 g), weight of dehusked nut (603.01 g), kernel weight (293.41 g) and copra weight (168.33 g). Similarly minimum number of female flowers, nut yield, kernel weight and copra weight were recorded in treatment combination of monocrop of coconut with green manuring + biofertilizers + organic recycling. The study indicated that cropping coconut + sapota + pineapple cropping system with organic and soil test based nutrients NPK are suitable for better growth and development of coconut.