THE EXPERT CONSULTATION ON COCONUT SECTOR DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA

AND THE PACIFIC REGION,

FAO REGIONAL OFFICE, BANGKOK, THAILAND

30TH OCTOBER -01ST NOVEMBER, 2013

OUT LINE: Introduction

Types of Intercrops: Seasonal, Semi-Perennials, Perennials

Land Productivity Improvement with CBFS

High Density Species Cropping Systems

NFT’S in Coconut Lands

Gliricidia Based Agroforestry in Coconut Plantations

Integrated Pasture/Fodder/Livestock Systems

CBFS for Sustainable Soil Management

The Role of CBFS on Climate Change

Economics of CBFS

Challenges Ahead

Income / Profit of Coconut Farming

Coconut Variety

(Genetics)

GAP

Introduction:

Estimated Income from various coconut farming systems (in US$/ha/year) Gross return Net return

Under rain-fed conditions

Coconut as monocrop

With intercrop

Cassava

Ginger

1 369

2 153

3 535

319

694

896

Under irrigated conditions

Coconut as monocrop

Multi-storeyed cropping

Mixed farming

2 988

4 108

5 965

1 450

1 895

1 821

Source: Rethinam and Siriniwasan, 2009.

Profit of Coconut < Coconut + CBFS

A Tall Coconut Plantation

Classification to tall coconut yield levels under normal ecological conditions

General

classification

Nuts/

palm/year

Copra per palm/

year (kg)

Copra per

ha/year (kg)

Very bad 0-10 0-2 0-300

Bad 11-20 2-4 100-600

Fair 21-30 4-6 600-900

Moderate 31-50 6-10 900-1500

Good 51-70 10-14 1500-2100

Very Good 71-90 14-18 2100-2700

Excellent >90 >18 >2700

(Source: Rethinam & Sivaraman , 2009)

Good agriculture practices in coconut lands

Spacing and plant density

Planting

Fertilizer and fertilizer application

Soil conservation

Soil moisture conservation

Rain water harvesting

Weed management

Cover cropping

Organic farming

Irrigation

Intercropping

Animal husbandry

Fuel wood farming

Pest/ disease management

Harvesting

Marketing

Monoculture stand coconut is economically viable

Coconut uses only 1/3 of land

Intercropping increases efficient use of resources

(Light, Water, Soil, Nutrients, etc…)

So, Integrated Coconut Farming is recognized

Increasing productivity through intercropping

Coconut based annuals system

Coconut based perennial crops system

Coconut based silvo pastoral system

Coconut based Gliricidia agroforestry system (CBGAS);

Coconut based coastal agroforestry system

Coconut based home garden system

Coconut based alley cropping system

Coconut based cover crop system

Coconut based farming systems

Suitability Class Potential Yield (nuts ha.-1 year -1)

S1 >15,000

S2 12,000 - 15,000

S3 10,000 – 12,000

S4 5,000 – 10,000

S5 2,500 – 5,000

Potential coconut yields of different land suitability classes

(Source: Somasiri et al., 1994)

Suitable crops for CBFS:

Seasonal, Semi-Perennials, Perennials

Intercrops should be selected accordingly

Schematic representation of horizontal root distribution of a

multiple intercropping system with conut (Nelliat et al., 1974)

Root arrangement – Below ground

Schematic representation of vertical root distribution of cacao

intercropped with coconut (Nelliat et al., 1974)

Below ground:

Perennials (over 10 years )

Cocoa , Coffee, Pepper, Clove, Cinnamon, Rambuton, Tea, Avocado,

Lime, Lemon, Cashew, Mango, Areca nut, Pasture and fodder for

livestock

Semi-perennials ( 2-5 years)

Banana, Pineapple, Passion fruit, Papaya, Sugar cane and Betel

Seasonal / annual crops ( Less than one year )

Pulses and cereals , Tubers and Yams, Ginger, Turmeric, Chillies,

Vegetables and several medicinal plants ( eg. Tippili, Komarica )

Suitable intercrops

Coconut + Tea Planting in Sri Lanka

Common annuals grown under coconut (Other, 1999) Annual Shade

tolerance

Performance under given climatic conditions

Wet Moderately Wet Dry

Arrow root (Maranta arundinacea) M VH H L

Beans (Phaseolus sp) L H VH L

Bele (Hibiscus manithot) H H VH M

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) M VH VH H

Chilli (hot) (Capsium spp.) VH VH H M

Chinese cabbage (Brassica oleracea) M H H M

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) L L H M

Egg plant (Solanum melongena) M VH H L Ginger (Zingiber officinale) H VH H M

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) M M H L

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) L VH H L

Maize (Zea mays) L H H L

Mustard (Brassica sp.) M M H M

Onion (Allium cepa) L H H M

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) M VH H M

Rice (Oryza sativa) L VH H L

Sunflower (Helianthus annus) L M H L

Seewt potato (Ipomoea batatas) M VH H M

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) H VH H M

Selected suitable crops for inter/mixed cropping under coconut (15-40 years old) (Philippines Coconut Development Authority, 1984)

Intercrop Light requirement

(ft-c x 100

Under field conditions

Without

** CLP

With CLP

Abaca (Musa textilis)

Amla (Emblica officinalis)

Banana (Musa spp.)

BlackPepper (Piper nigrum)

Cacao (Theobroma cacao) .

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale)

Citrus (Citrus/all varieties)

Coffee (Coffee/all varieties)

Durian (Durio zibethinus)

Grapes (Vilis vinifera)

Lanzones (Lansium domesticum)

Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana)

Mango (Mangifera indica) ".

Papaya (Carica papayae)

Pineapple' (Ananas comosus)

3-8

3-8

3-8

1-3

1-3

3-8

3-8

1-3

3-8

3-8

3-8

3-8

3-8

3-8

3-8

NR

NR

NR

R

R

NR

NR

R

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

R

R

R*

NR

NR

R

R

NR

R*

R

R*

R*

R

R*

R

Type of crop Crop Yield t. ha -1 yr -1

1. Food crop

Root and tubers

Cassava

Sweet potato

Taro

Cocoyam

Manihot esculenta

Ipomea batatas

Colosasia sp.

Xanthosoma sp.

11.0

4.8

6.5

19.6

Grain legumes Cowpea

Groundnut

Pigeon pea

Vigna usguiculata

Arachis hypogea

Cajanus cajan

0.8

1.3

1.0

Fruit crops Banana

Pineapple

Passion fruit

Papaya

Musa sp.

Ananas comosus

Passiflora edulis

Carica papaya

49.0

14.0

6.0

10.0

2. Spices

Ginger

Turmeric

Zingiber officinale

Curcuma longa

20.0

7.3

Yield of seasonal and annual intercrops under coconut in Sri Lanka

(Source: Liyanage and Dassanayake, 1993)

The effect of mixed cropping systems on coconut yield

(1977-1989) at Sri Kandura estate, Dodanduwa (wet zone)

Cropping system Mean Yield

nuts /ha/yr

%

Increase

Mean copra

yield

mt/ha/yr

%

Increase

Coconut only (control) 6123 - 1.79 -

Coconut +Cocoa 7504 22 2.18 22

Coconut + Coffee 8216 34 2.26 26

Coconut + Pepper 6424 05 2.03 13

Coconut + Clove 7191 17 2.13 19

Coconut + Cinnamon 7623 26 2.35 31

(Source: Liyanage, 1995)

Complementary coconut yield

Crop Mean Yield ( Kg ha -1 yr -1)

Cocoa Theobroma cacao 720

Coffee Coffea canephora 445

Black Pepper Piper nigrum 930

Clove Euhenia caryophyllus 136

Cinnamon Cinnamomum verum 435

Lemonime Citrys sp. 24,000

Lime Citrus sp. 5,000

Betel Piper betel 35,500

Mulberry Morus alba 12,000

Yield of perennial mixed crops under coconut in Sri Lanka

(Source: Liyanage and Dassanayake, 1993)

20

Effect of mixed cropping models on coconut yield in on

farm trials in different Agro Ecological regions.

Crop Model Agro

Ecological

Zone

Mean Nut Yield Nuts/ha/yr Mean Copra Yield g/nut

No

Mixed

Crop

With

Mixed

Crop

%

Increase

No

Mixed

Crop

With

Mixed

Crop

%

Increase

Coconut +pepper

Coffee+ Ginger

WL3 6,406 7,427 16.0 197.3 217.8 10.4

Coconut + Cacao +

Pepper + Ginger

WL2 5,738 6,657 16.0 197.7 219.5 11.0

Coconut +Paper +

Coffee+ NFT’S

IL1 4,541 6,970 53.5 204.1 237.6 16.4

Coconut + Mango +

Lime + Banana

IL3 6,688 6,934 3.7 202.3 229.3 13.3

Coconut + Cashew

+ Banana

IL3 5,139 6,794 32.0 163.6 185.4 13.3

(Source: Gunathilake and Liyanage)

The role of NFT’S in coconut lands:

Several Nitrogen Fixing Trees: Gliricidia Calliiandra Acacia

Benefits: Green manure Soil mulch Wood

Treatment Nut yield (nut/palm/ year) Copra yield (kg/palm/year)

Average for 4 years ( 1992-1995)

Acacia auriculiformis +

Coconut

76 14.6

Calliandra calothyrsus +

Coconut

73 14.6

Gliricidia sepium + Coconut 68 13.0

Gliricidia sepium + Coconut 69 13.1

Coconut only 65 12.9

Significance NS NS

Effects of different NFT’s on coconut yield in the low country dry

intermediate zone in Sri Lanka (Andigama Series, moderately

shallow phase.)

(Source: Liyanage, 1998 - Unpublished)

Gliricidia Green manure, SRC Caliandra Green manure SRC Accaria Leaf mulch, Wood

Introduced to Sri Lanka from Meccsico about 300 years ago. Within 700 years under tea, pepper and coconut cultivations At present as the 4th Plantation Crop - Production of Bio energy

CBFS with gliricidia

About gliricidia

Why gliricidia was selected?

• High growth rate

• Easy planting

• Could be grown under different agro – climatic soil conditions

• Shade tolerance

• Tolerate pruning

• Low pest/disease incidences

• Moderate decomposition rate of leaves

• Multiple uses (a shade tree, stakes, an animal feed)

Gliricidia For :

3 F

Fertility/ Fertilizer

Fuel

Fodder

Productivity of gliricidia (kg/tree/yr) :

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6

Leaf (Fresh) 2.0 2.5 3.6 5.0 6.0 6.0

Wood (at 20% moisture) 1.4 3.0 4.5 5.0 6.0 6.0

Does cultivation of gliricidia negatively effect on coconut

yield ?

Experiment - Rathmalagara Estate, Madampe

Treatments Nuts/Palms/Year

1990-1998 1999

Control (APM)

fertilizer only)

76 78

Pueraria cover (P&K

only)

77 81

Gliricidia (P&K

only)

65 77

Gliricidia + Pueraria

(P&K only)

75 82

APPLICATIONS

Gunathilake , 2011

No adverse effect on coconut yield

Gliricidia as a substitute for urea: Use of Gliricidia as a N Fertilizer for Coconut :

APM (kg) Gliricidia

(50

Kg/palm/yr)

Urea 0.8 -

ERP 0.6 0.35

MOP 1.6 1.0

Dolomite 1.0 0.5

Gunathilake , 2011

Practiced over 20 years

Treatments (palm -1 year -1) Average Nut

yield (nuts

palm -1 year -1)

APM –800g Urea +600g ERP+1600g MOP+ 1000g Dolomite 76

Pueraria Cover + 300g ERP+1000g MOP+500g Dolomite 77

Gliricidia 50kg +300g ERP+1000g MOP+ 500g Dolomite

(In-Situ )

66

Gliricidia +Pureria +300g ERP+1000g MOP+ 500g Dolomite 76

Comparison of inorganic and organic nitrogen supply supplemented with P, K and Mg on nut yield of coconut (1990-1999)

In –situ intercultivation of Gliricidia

32

Leaf nutrient levels of coconut 14th leaf (7 YAP)

N% P% K% Mg% Ca%

Coconut alone 1.68 0.11 0.91 0.35 0.39

Coconut+Gliricidia 2.18 0.12 0.84 0.33 0.54

Sufficiency

range/level

1.9-2.1 0.11-

0.13

1.2-

1.5

0.25-

0.35

0.35-

0.50

Note : Nitrogen levels of coconut has

been elevated over sufficiency range

- P, Mg were not affected

- K Nutrient has been lowered

Gliricidia as a dedicated plantation

for power generation :

Location : Pallama Seed Garden

Total Cultivated Extent : 30.0 ha

Planting system : 2m x 1m (double rows in a coconut avenue )

Harvesting interval : 8 months

Pruning height : 1.0 m

Methodology : Foliage – add to the coconut palms

Wood – Sell for power generation

Status : Self – financing project

35

Gliricidia – the 4th plantation crop in Sri Lanka

Uses

Green Manure Fuel Wood

35 kw Gassifier 35 CFL Bulbs + B/W TV

1 MWe Biomass-Fired Boiler-Steam Turbine System feeding the National Grid

Up to 10 mw Plants

Integrated of livestock farming CBFS

Benefits – Income generation

Family nutrition

National economy

Suitable projects:

Milking cattle

Buffaloe farming

Goat farming

Free range poultry farming

Type of pasture Pasture yield (kg/ha/year- dry weight)

B. milliformis 7 700

B. ruziziensis 7 400

B. brizantha 9 000

Guinea B 7 700

Setaria 7 600

Productivity of several pastures under coconuts

(dry weight)

(Source: Santhirasegaram, 1966)

CORI Grass – Shade tolerant

Goats

Breeds – Jamnapari

Jamnapari x Local

Sri Lankan Boer

6 goats per acre of lands

Goat manure – 20 kg/palm/year

Fodder tree farming –

Gliricidia, Acacia, Jack

Treatments Coconut yield (nuts/palm/year)

Year 1999-2001 Year 2002

Slashing 81 65

Cover cropping 76 51

Buffalo gazing 86 69

Significance Ns *

LSD (p = 0.05) 6

Effect of buffalo grazing, cover cropping and slashing on yield of

coconut at Makandura

Source: Anon 2013

Free range poultry farming

Based – CPRS x Local

Importance - Low feeding cost

High adaptability

High quality of eggs

Low cost of production

Use of house hold waste

Aim - To improve farm nutrition

4 eggs/person/week

Breed/ Strains Egg Production

( eggs/year

/replicate*)

% egg

production

FCR** Egg weight

(g)

CPRS 4 172 46 2.17 53.8

CPRS x

Indigenous

3 839 39 2.91 48.9

Indigenous 3 516 42 2.51 45.9

Significance NS - - -

CV (%) 9.8 - - -

Performance of different breeds/ strains of poultry

*Replicate – 25 birds; ** FCR – Feed Conversion Rate (Feed requirement for 12 eggs)

CBFS on soil fertility improvement Fertilizer application X

Soil fertility management • Soil organic matter 2% (Humas)

• CEC

• pH

• Reduce soil erosion

• Soil biology (eg. earth worms)

So Use of organic fertilizer

Cover cropping – Gliricidia

Cattle grazing (reduce over grazing)

Intercropping (eg: Cocoa)

Contour drains

Recycling of husk, fronds ect

Properties of trees which favour soil

improvement :

high biomass production

nitrogen fixation

a well – developed root system

high nutrient content in the biomass, including roots

fast or moderate rate of litter decay

absence of toxic substances in foliage or root

exudates

Concern On:

46

Part Removal (kg ha -1)

N P K Mg

Inflorescence 7.9 1.9 16.3 3.2

Fronds 33.4 3.3 43.6 20.3

Nuts

Nut water 0.3 0.1 3.3 0.1

Shell 1.8 0.1 3.1 0.2

Kernel 19.9 2.8 10.5 1.6

Husk 10.6 1.2 63.2 2.5

Total 73.9 9.3 139.9 27.9

Equivalent (kg) Urea -160 ERP - 71 MOP - 279 Dolomite – 232

Application (kg) Urea - 120 ERP - 90 MOP - 240 Dolomite – 150

Nutrient removal by coconut monoculture ( 7500 nuts or 150 palms ha -1)

K> N > P > Mg

Coconut as a monocrop

47

Effect of mixed cropping on soil fertility (0-15 cm depth)

Cropping System Physical Chemical Biological

Bulk

Density

(g cm-1)

Soil

Moisture

Organic

Carbon

(%)

Total

N

(ppm)

Avail.

P

(ppm)

Exch.K

(meq

100g-1)

Earthworms

(no.m-2)

Coconut only

(control)

1.56 9.06 0.86 957 9.6 0.14 28

Coconut +Cocoa 1.26 18.55 1.42 1,18

4

29.4 0.18 214

Coconut + Coffee 1.23 12.91 1.36 1,02

2

27.8 0.15 218

Coconut + Pepper 1.27 11.20 1.27 1,46

1

55.9 0.12 191

Coconut + Clove 1.19 11.30 1.20 1,15

4

32.3 0.18 204

Coconut +

Cinnamon

1.25 10.69 1.46 1249 28.9 0.16 233

Source: (Liyanage and Dassanayake, 1995)

CBFS for renewable energy:

Wood

Biogas

Crop residues

A coconut based farming model :

Basically – 1.0 coconut ha

Components –

Coconut – 156 coconut palms

Pasture – Underneath

Gliricidia – Double rows in an

avenue 2,250 trees/ha

Paddy straw – from outside – 24.0 m.t.

Buffaloes - 6

Bio gas unit – 35m3 – Cost Rs.70,500

A 3.5 kW wood gassifire – Rs.500,000-(outside)

50

ASSUMPTION

281,222

1 ha Plantation

30 t Fuelwood Rs.45,000

26 t Foliage

0.416t Urea Eq . Organic Fertilizer

Rs.7,488

Option 1

Fodder (6 Cows)

6750 l Milk Rs.121,500

32 t Dung Option2

1.05t Urea Eq . Organic Fertilizer

Rs.18,922

Option 3

Digester

1.05t Urea Eq . 32t Effluent Rs.18,922

1971 C.M. Biogas Rs.35,951

Income per ha/y

Total Rs.281,222 per ha/y

24 t Straw

N % P % K % Mg % EC us/cm pH

Cow dung 1.31 0.56 0.93 0.64 3.41 7.14

Effluent 2.96 1.08 1.02 0.52 3.07 6.69

Buffalo dung and biogas unit slurry analysis at

Ratmalagara Estate.

Effluent is more fertile due to microbial process

So, Organics Organic effluents

Estimated gross return of the model at the 3rd year including value of energy :

Item Actual

yield

Unit Price (Rs.) Gross

return

(Rs./ha/yr)

%

Coconut 9000

nuts/ha

Rs. 20/- per nut 180,000.00 25.5

Selling of calves 5 calves Rs.41,244/- at the

age of 16 months

206,220.00 29.3

Buffalo milk 622 liters

x5 buffalos

Rs. 30/- per liter 93,300.00 13.2

Saving of fertilizer

for coconut

150 palms

/ ha

Rs. 300/ X per

coconut palm

45,000.00 6.4

Value of energy

eqaulent diesel

2,565

liters

Rs. 70/- per liter 179,550.00 25.5

Total gross return 704,070.00

World wide accepted

Realized by farmers (eg. Coconut yield, yields of

Cashew, Mango etc.

Mitigation and Adaptation

Trees / Crops C ; Micro Climate

Trees > Seasonal Crops C Sequestration

CBFS on climate change:

LSC Carbon sequestration rate (Mg carbon per

hectare per month

WL3 IL1a DL3

S2 0.90 ± 0.30 0.59 ± 0.21 0.73 ± 0.27

S4 1.94 ± 0.17 0.52 ±0.25 0.40 ± 0.19

Summary carbon balance (carbon sequestration rate) of a

coconut-grass system on S2 and S4 land suitability classes (LSC) in

the wet (WL3), intermediate (IL1a) and dry zones (DL3)

Soil S2 > S1

Rainfall WL > IL > DL

Profitability of coconut and coconut based farming systems

Pay-back Period of Monocrop Cultivation Rs. Per Acre

-200000

-150000

-100000

-50000

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Net

Pro

fit

Rs.

Years

Net profit Cumilative value

Economics of CBS

Coconut Alone 20 years

Pay-back period of coconut cultivation with intercrops Rs. Per Acre

-750000

-500000

-250000

0

250000

500000

750000

1000000

1250000

1500000

1750000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Net

Pro

fit

Rs.

Years

Net profit with pineapple and banana Cumulative values

Coconut + Intercrop 4 years

Summary of crop gross margins and production parameters

Crop Unit No of

plants

Gestation

period –

years

Considered

period for gross

margin

calculation - years

Gross margins

Rs./ac

IRR BCR

Main crop

Coconut Nuts 64 17 25 221,351 7 0.78

Fruit crops

Banana Bunch 400 0 5 200,053 107 1.58

Pineapple Fruit 4000 1 5 1,349,534 235 2.62

Papaya Kg 325 1 4 591,845 243 2.36

Tree crops/beverage and other crops

Cashew Kg 40 3 10 530,971 78 8.16

Rambutan Kg 32 3 10 810,428 141 1.46

Pepper Kg 350 4 10 939,254 156 1.44

Cocoa+ banana Kg 430

200

4

1

10

5

77, 397 128 1.12

Source: CRI Annual Reports

Bee - Keeping

Increase pollination by bees

Coir processing at estate level

Soil moisture conservation -

D- 1 Defibering Machine

5000 husks - 600 kg of coir - 2 loads of coir pith Coir export in 2012 - Rs 20,988 mln

Challenges Ahead: Quality planting materials Riske of drought Price fluctuation Marketing difficulties Pest & diseases Low yield Cost of labour / Farm labour Leasing lands Inadequate organizational support

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