Extension Folder No. 6

MANGALA A high yielding arecanut variety

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CENTRAL PLANTATION CROPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE Kasaragod 670 124, Kerala, India

MANGALA - AHIGH YIELDING ARECAHUT VARI ETY

Crop improvement work in arecanut at (PCRI has been mainly through introductions of exotic and indigenous types and refinement of selection procedures in mother palms. seed nuts and seedlings. A collection of 34 cu lt ivars from other arecanut growing countries of the world were introduced to (peRI Regional Stalion, Vittal, at various stages, starti ng from 1957. On the basis of morphological characteristics, earliness in bearing and comparative yield evaluation of the cultivars, the accession VTL-J obtained from Beijing (China) was found to have a number of desirable characters and was released in 1973 for large scale planting, under the name 'Mangala'.

F EATURES OF MAN GALA

• It is semi-tall

It has partia lly drooping crown , well-spread leaves , more number of leaflets invariably cr i nkling at the t ips.

• F ruits medium sized with good chewing qua li t y of nut s acceptable to t he consum er.

• Early in bearing , m ore number of female fl owers per inflorescence , h igher fruit set, early stabili ­sation of production, initia l and cumula tive higher yields and hence has reduced pay back peri od.

MANQALA

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HANGALA - AHIGH YiElDING ARECANUT VARIETY

Crop improvement work in arecanut at CPCRI has been mainly

Igh in troductions of exotic and indigenous types and refinement

lection procedures in mother palms, seed nuts and seedlings. A

,tion of 34 cultivars from other arecanut growing countries of

world were introduced to (PCRI Regional Station, Vittal, at

us stages, starting from 1957. On the basis of morphological

lcteristics, earliness in bearing and comparative yield evaluation

Ie cultivars, the accession VTl-J obtained from Beijing (China) found to have a nu mber of desirable characters and was released

73 for large scale planting, under the name 'Mangala'.

,TURES OF MANGALA

It is semi- t a ll

It h as partially drooping crown , well- spread leaves, more number of leaflets invariably crinkling at the tips .

Fruits m edium sized with good chewing quality of n uts acceptable to the consumer .

Early in bearing, m ore number of female fl owers per in florescence, higher fr uit set, early stabili ­sation of production, i nitial and cumulative higher y ields and h ence h as reduced pay back peri od.

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MANGALA

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CUi TIVAT/ON PRACTICES

1. Planting time : Planting is to be done during May- June in

'ell- drained soils and duling August- September in clayey soils.

2. Spacing: 1.7 m x 1.1 m. The successive line should be

deflected ae an angle of 350 (ow8lds west to minimise sun­

scotching of the stem.

3. Plant ing : In pils of 90 em x 90 em x 90 cm filled with

mixture of top soil, cowdung and sand (0 a height of 50 10

60 cm from the base of the pit.

4. Manuri al schedule: Annual application of 150 g N, 60 g P2Ds

and 1 10 g K2D in tile form 01 fertilizers and 12- 15 kg each

of green leal and compost or cattle manure per palm from the

third year of planting is recommended. Half the qlJantity of

feltilize rs and full quantity of green leaf and com post may be

applied in September- October and the balance of fe lrilize rs

to be made up in f ebruary-March.

5. Irrigat ion and drainage : Nee ds irrigation once in 4-5 days

de pending on the soil type and climatic fac tors.

6. Inter and mixed cropping : Mangala is ideal for mixed

cropping with banana, COC08, pepper, pineapple, betlevine

etc. without loss in arecanut yield:

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MANGALA -us. LOCAL (SOUTH KANARA)

Mangala Local

1. Heigh t of palm at lOth year 66 cm 315 cm

2. Age at fi rst flowering 3 years 4 years

3. Age at which stabilization of yield occur s afte r planting 5/6 years 8/10 years

4. Cumulative yield of ripe fruits/p alm upto 10th year from planting 80 kg 35 kg

AREAS SUITABLE FOR MAN GALA

Coasta l districts of Kera la and Karnataka where chali (Bi/igotu) is prepared from ripe fruits, up to an altitude of about 800 m above MSL.

SPECIAL HINTS

." Because of the heterozygous nature of the crop, about 2 per cent of the palms develop weak stem with lanky growth . These may be located and rogued Ollt within two years after planting and replaced.

Mangala palms suffer if underplanted in heavily "' shaded old areca gardens.

-r. Thorough drainage during monsoon is equally important as supply of adequate soil moisture during dry, hot weather period .

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Text prepared by:

K . SbAma Bhat and M. K. Nalr

Published by '

K. V. AHAMED BAVAPPA Director

Central Plantation Crops Research Institute Kasaragod 670 124, Kerala, India

Printed al lhe Matbrubhumi M. M . Pres!, Callcul