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MANUALONCOCONUTNURSERY

ESTABLISHMENTANDMAINTENANCE

Developedintheproject:“CoconutIndustryDevelopmentfortheCaribbean”underITC/CARDIContractNo:2015-57-EF

October2016

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Acknowledgements:ThisManualisanoutputfromthecollaborationbetweentheInternationalTradeCentre(ITC)andtheCaribbeanAgriculturalResearch&DevelopmentInstitute(CARDI)aspartoftheEUfundedproject‘CoconutIndustryDevelopmentfortheCaribbean’.ThereporthasbeenpreparedbyCARDIConsultantsComptonPaulandEvansRamkhelawan.PlatedesignsbyComptonPaulPhotosanddiagramswithoutcreditmention:AuthorsITC/CARDIContractNo:2015-57-EF

Citation:Paul,C.andE.Ramkhelawan.2016.ManualonCoconutNurseryEstablishmentandMaintenance.InternationalTradeCentre,Geneva,Switzerland.

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the International Trade Centre concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

This document has not been formally edited by the International Trade Centre.

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ContentsNURSERYESTABLISHMENTANDMANAGEMENT1.0Introduction 41.1Stepsinestablishingandmanagingacoconutnursery 41.2Nurserysiteselection 51.3Seedbedpreparationinthepre-nursery 61.4Plantinginthepre-nurseryseedbed 71.5Selectionofseedlingsfromthepre-nurseryforplantinginthenurserybed 81.6Plantinggerminatedseednutsinthenurserybed 91.7Maintenanceofpre-nurseryseedbedsandnurserybeds 101.7.1Irrigation 101.7.2Weedmanagement 101.7.3Fertilizerapplication 101.7.4Mulching 101.7.5Pestanddiseasecontrolinthenursery 111.7.6Seedlingselectionfromthenurserybedfortransplantingtothefield 111.8Productionofseedlingsinpolyethylenebags(polybags) 131.8.1Maintenanceofpolybagnursery 151.8.2Transplantingfrompolybagstothefield 161.9Recordsandsinageinnurserybeds 16ANNEXI–PoornurserypracticesobservedintheCaribbean 17BIBLIOGRAPHY 19

Plates1.Stepsinestablishingandmanagingacoconutnursery. 52.Well-designednurseryfacility,CentralFarm,Belize. 53.Nurseryseedbedpreparation. 74.Seednutssowninpre-nurserybeds. 85.Seedlingsinpre-nurseryreadyforselectionandmovetothemainnursery. 96.Plantingdistancesforseedlingsinthemainnurserybed. 97.Coconutseedlingsmulchedwithcoconutcoir,BartonIsles,Jamaica. 118.Seedlingsbeingremovedfromnurserybedforplantinginthefield. 129.Poorseedlingsthatshouldberejectedandgoodselectedseedlings. 1310.Paredseednutplacedinpolybag. 1411.Earlystepsofcoconutpolybagnursery. 1412.Layingoutofpolybags. 1513.Exampleofpoorlysownnurserybedswhereinseednutsweretotally

coveredwithsoil. 1714.Seednutsplacedinthe“nurserybed”withnosoilcover. 1815.Seedlingsgrowinginadrainwithintheplantationwithnoselectionof

motherpalmnorseednuts. 18

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Figure

1. Timelineofpre-nurseryandmainnurseryoperationspriortoplantingoutthe

seedlingsintheopenfield. 12

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NurseryEstablishmentandManagement1.0IntroductionSuccessofcoconutplantationestablishmentstartswiththeproductionofgoodqualityplantingmaterials.Selectingthebestplantingmaterialsbeforefieldplantingassureshigherproductivity.Plantingcoconutseednutsdirectlyinthefieldisnotrecommendedandcaremustbetakeninchoosingtheseedlingstostartaplantationsincehighqualityplantingmaterialsprovideagoodheadstarttosustainthecoconutpalmsproductiveandeconomiclifespanof60ormoreyears.The rearingof coconut seedlings inawell-maintainednursery facilitatesefficient selectionofnormaluniformseedlings(Santosetal.,1996;BaylonandRivera,2016). TheauthorsofthepresentpublicationhaveobservedthatmostfarmersinCaribbeancountriesdo not practise proper nursery establishment and management and this lack of goodagriculturalpracticeobviouslyimpactsnegativelyontheproductivityandincomegenerationoftheirplantations.Thepresentpublicationisintendedtoprovideinformationonpropercoconutnurseryestablishmentandmanagementusinghighqualityplantingmaterials thathavebeenselected according to guidelines presented in Chapter 1 of the Technical Report “CoconutProductionTechnology”(RamkhelawanandPaul,2016).

1.1Stepsinestablishingandmanagingacoconutnursery

Selectionofmotherpalmsforseednutproduction

Seednutharvest,selectionandstorage

Nurserysiteselection

Seedbedpreparationinpre-nursery

Plantinginthepre-nurseryseedbed

Selectionofseedlingsfromthepre-nurseryforplantinginthenurserybed

Plantinggerminatedseednutsinthenurserybeds[polybagscanbeusedinsteadofnurserybeds]

Maintenanceofpre-nurseryseedbedsandnurserybeds

Recordsandsignage

Transplantingofseedlingsfromnurserybedstofield

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ThesestepsarealsoillustratedinPlate1.

Plate1.Stepsinestablishingandmanagingacoconutnursery(Photocredits:A.Mohammed;Flickriver,2016;123RFLtd,2016;pinterest.com,2016;ValleyWines,2016;Indiamart,2016;Dreamstime,2016).

1.2Nurserysiteselection

The production of coconut seedlings in a well–designed and maintained facility, facilitatesefficient selectionofuniform, vigorous seedlings (Plate2). Thenursery canbe located in theinterspacesofthecoconutplantationwherecoconuttreesprovideshadebutifanopenspaceis selected, the area shouldbeprovidedwith shadeusing 50 - 75% shade cloth as shown inPlate2(TNAU,2012).

Plate2.Well-designednurseryfacility,CentralFarm,Belize.

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The nursery site should have the following characteristics (Santos et al., 1996; Ghose andGopalakrishnam,2013):

• Beopen,level,well-drainedandnotpronetoflooding.• Havealightorloose-texturedsoiltofacilitatenurseryoperations;therefore,asandyor

sandyloamsoilisrecommended.• Haveadequateamountofsunlightandasourceofwaterforirrigationinclose

proximity.• Thesiteshouldhaveagriculturalaccessroadsfortransportation.• Itshouldbeawayfrompotentialsourcesofpestsanddiseasesandbefencedfor

security.• Thesiteshouldhaveashedorcontainerstostorematerialsandsupplies,farm

implementsandsmallequipment.• Havesufficientlytrainedmanpoweravailabletocarryoutnurseryoperations.

1.3Seedbedpreparationinthepre-nursery

Apre-nurseryisusedtoobtainuniformplantingmaterialpriortoplantinginanurseryproper.It facilitates thesortingof seedlingsbyage, sizeorcolour,and isespeciallyuseful to identifyand eliminate off-types. A pre-nursery is also useful to discard seednuts that do not sproutafteraspecifictime(3-4months,dependingonvariety)alongwithanychlorotic,contorted,damagedorotherwiseunsuitableseedlings(Harries,2016).Thesiteshouldbecleared,ploughedandrotovatedtoafinetilth(Plate3).Thebedsshouldbe10-20cminheighttoprovideadequateroot-roomanddrainage.Theyshouldbe2minwidthtoenableeaseofplanting,inspection,managementandmaintenanceoperations.Aspaceof60cm between two beds will facilitate ease of inspection, selection, and seedling transferactivities(TNAU,2012).Awell-drainedplotwithfriable,sandyloam/loamsoilsisbestsuitedduetotherelativeeaseinremoving the seedlings fromthenursery.Heavyclayey soilsandwaterloggedsoils shouldbeavoided.TheidealsoilpHrangesfrom5.5-7.0;however,seedlingsaretoleranttoapHrangeof4.5-8.5(TNAU,2012).

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Plate3.Nurseryseedbedpreparation(Photocredit:TNAU,2012).1.4Plantinginthepre-nurseryseedbedThedistance between two seednuts along the row should be about 15 cmand the distancebetweentwoadjacentrowsshouldbeabout15–20cm.Seednutsshouldbelaidintrenchesinwhich the depth is 10 – 15 cm. The seednuts are planted by firmly setting them eitherhorizontallyorverticallyorslightlytiltedwiththeembryoendatthetopandthewidestofthethreesegmentsuppermost.Vertically-plantedseednutssuffermorefromdroughtandarelessrobustthanthosefromflatorhorizontalplantingalthoughnotchinghastenstheirgermination.With horizontal planting, rate of germination and subsequent growth of seedlings are fastercompared to vertical planning; this is especially the case with Dwarf cultivars (TNAU, 2012;CoconutCultivationBoard,2011;GhoseandGopalakrishnan,2013).Theseednutsarethencoveredwithtopsoilsothat1/3oftheiruppersurfaceisvisible(Plate4).Seednutsshouldnotbecompletelycoveredwithsoil.Fiverowsofnutsmaybeplantedineachbed accommodating 20 - 50 nuts per row. Each bed should carry the same variety and allseednutsshouldbeofthesameage.Itisbettertotimethesowingofseednutswiththeonsetof the rains. Normally dry coconut fronds and/or coir can be utilised as a mulch for theseedbeds(GhoseandGopalakrishnam,2013).SeednutsofTallvarietiesbegingerminationwithin2-4monthsaftersowingandseednutsofDwarfvarietiesusuallygerminate1-3monthsaftersowing.Generally,germinationisrecordedtillthe5thmonthofsowingandagoodseedlotwillhave80-90%germination.Seednutsthatdo not germinatewithin 5months can be removed from the pre-nursery and composted. A12% discard of seedlings is acceptable at the pre-nursery seedbed stage (Coconut ResearchInstituteofSriLanka,2006;TNAU,2012).

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Plate4.Seednutssowninpre-nurserybeds(Photocredit:CoconutDevelopmentBoard,2014;diagram at right showing vertically-planted nuts from Santos et al, 1995). Distance betweenseednutsalongrow15cm;interowspacing=15–20cm;seednutscoveredwithtopsoilsothat1/3oftheiruppersurfaceisvisible.1.5Selectionofseedlingsfromthepre-nurseryforplantinginthemainnurserybedAfter4months,early-germinatednutswhichhaveabout5–6cmlongshootsareselectedfortransplantingintomainnurserybeds(Plate5)orintopolyethylenebags.Thisoperationallowstheseedlingsmorespacetogrowvigorouslyandpermitsscreeningoutofunsuitableseedlings.Earlinessofgerminationiscorrelatedwithearlyyieldandearlysplittingofleavesintoleafletsisdirectlyrelatedwithspeedofgermination(Santosetal,1996).

Seedlings with sprouts that are single, sturdy, straight and well-set into the husk should beselected. Off-colourseedlingsandthosewiththinorspindlysprouts,twoormorestemsandshort leaf blade should bediscarded. All selected seedlingsmust be free fromdiseases andpests(NagarjunaGroup,2016).

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Plate5.Seedlingsinpre-nurseryreadyforselectionandmovetothemainnurseryabout4monthsaftersowing(Photocredit:Indiamart,2016).1.6Plantinggerminatedseednutsinthemainnurserybeds

Selectedgerminatednutsareremovedfromtheseedbedbyliftingwithaspadeandtherootsaretrimmedbeforetransferringtothenurserybedwhichhassoiloffinetilth.Thetrimmingoftherootsassiststheseedlingstoestablishquicklyandwillinducethemtoproducenewroots.Seedlingsshouldneverbeliftedfromthesoilbypullingtheleavesorstem(TNAU,2012).

Seedlingsshouldbeplantedasearlyaspossibleafterremoval fromthepre-nursery;theyareplanted1/3deep in the soil. All vacatedplots in thepre-nursery seedbed shouldbe refilledwith topsoil so as not to destabilise the remaining ungerminated seednuts. The spacing ofseedlingsinthemainnurseryshouldbeasshowninPlate6(TNAU,2012;KissanKerala,2016).

Plate6.Plantingdistancesforseedlingsinthemainnurserybed(Photocredit:Dreamstime,2016).

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1.7 Maintenanceofpre-nurseryseedbedsandmainnurserybeds

1.7.1 IrrigationAfter sowing, the seednuts should be irrigated thoroughly to saturation levels (TNAU, 2012).Theseedbedsshouldbeirrigatedregularlytoensurethatthesoilismoist.Regularapplicationofwater iscompulsoryunderdryweatherconditions.Keepseednutscoolbysprinklingwateronthenutsasrequired,toavoiddryingoutofwaterintheendosperm.Thiscanbedoneusingoverhead sprinklersor a gardenhose fittedwithanozzle. In thepre-nurserybeds, apply0.5litreswater to each sprouted seedling at least once every 3 - 4 days depending onweatherconditions(CoconutCultivationBoard,2011).Inthenurserybed,apply1litreofwatertoeachseedlingevery2daysifthereisnorain.1.7.2 WeedmanagementWeedinghelpsinmoistureconservationoftheseedbedandshouldbeconductedmanuallybyhand-pullingonceortwicepermonth(CoconutCultivationBoard,2011)orwithawickwipercontainingasystemicherbicide.1.7.3 FertiliserapplicationChemical fertilisersneednotbeapplied to the seedlings in thepre-nurseryduring the first2monthsaftersowingsincetheseedlingsareusuallynourishedbytheendosperm(TNAU,2014).Thereafter,ablendoffertiliserscanbepreparedbymixing1unitureawith2unitsTSPand4unitsKCl.Theblendshouldbeappliedatarateof30g/plantat2monthsaftergerminationandat60g/plantat the4thand6thmonths. Fromthe2-monthstageandonwards,asolutionofMgS0₄shouldbeappliedmonthlyatarateof10mlper4.5litreswater(Ramkhelawan,2013).1.7.4 MulchingDuring hot, dry periods, pre-nursery andmain nursery beds can be shadedwith 65% shadecloth,mountedonposts2mhigh (Plate2).Thesurfaceof thebedcanbemulchedwithdryfronds and/or coir (Plate 7). This can promote early and more efficient germination, goodseedlinggrowthandbetterestablishment.

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Plate7.Coconutseedlingsmulchedwithcoconutcoir,BartonIsles,Jamaica.1.7.5 PestanddiseasemanagementinthenurseryCareful inspections shouldbe regularlymade todetect incidenceofpest anddiseases in thenursery. Scales, whiteflies and mealy bugs are often found on the underside of the leaves.Dimethoatesprayedat0.05%andaspreaderstickercanbealternatedwithTriazophos40%ECtokeepthesepestsatamanageablelevel.Thebiologicalinsecticide,BioneemorNeemexcanbesprayedwithastickerontotheundersurfaceoftheleavestocontrolmites.For leaf spot and bud rot diseases, preventative treatments of 1% Bordeaux fungicidealternated with 0.3% Idofil M-45 should applied twice per month. Severely infected leavesshouldberemovedandburnt(Ramkhelawan,2013).1.7.6 SeedlingselectionfromthemainnurserybedfortransplantingtothefieldAfter4-5monthsinthemainnurserybed,seedlingsarereadyforplantingoutinthefieldandthisshouldcoincidewiththeonsetofrains.Properselectionofseedlings inthemainnurseryaloneensuresa10%improvementinyield.Thefollowingconsiderationsshouldbemadewhenselectingseedlingsfortransplantingtothefield(Plate8):

• Shootsshouldhaveagirthof10-12cmatthecollar.• There should be a minimum of six leaves with youngest already differentiated into

leaflets.• Theleafstalksshouldbeshortandthick.• Seedlingsshouldhavearobusthealthyappearanceandbefreefrompestsanddiseases.• If rigorous standards of selection are adopted, 60 - 65% high quality seedlings in a

nurserycanbeobtainedfromthetotalnutssown(GhoseandGopalakrishnam,2013).

Seedlingsthatdonotmeetthesecriteriashouldberejected(Plate9).

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Figure 1 shows a timeline for the various stages of operations in the pre-nursery andmainnurserypriortoplantingouttheseedlingsintheopenfield.

Figure1.Timelineofpre-nurseryandmainnurseryoperationspriortoplantingouttheseedlingsintheopenfield.Seedlings should be removed from the main nursery by lifting with a spade and the rootscarefullycut.Seedlingsshouldneverbeliftedfromthesoilbypullingtheleavesorstem.Itisimportanttokeeptheseedlingsintheshadeandoutofthesunandtohavethemplantedasearlyaspossibleafterremovalfromthemainnursery(KissanKerala,2016).

Plate8.Seedlingsbeingremovedfromnurserybedforplantinginthefield.

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Plate9.Poorseedlingsthatshouldberejected(left)andgoodselectedseedlings(right)(SketchfromElfick,2016)1.8 Productionofseedlingsinpolyethylenebags(polybags)Coconutseedlingscanalsobeproducedinpolybags(Plate10).Theadvantagesofusingpolybagsinsteadoffieldplotsareasfollows(Santosetal.,1996;Thomas,2007):

• Morevigorousseedlingwithbetterrootsystem.• Betterestablishmentandearlybearing.• Transplantingshockisgreatlyminimizedsincethereisnorootdamage,thereby

promotingearlyestablishmentoftransplantedseedlings.• Seedlingscanberetainedlongerinthenurserywhenconditionsforfieldplantingare

notfavourable.• Weeding,wateringandeliminationofunwantedseedlingsaswellasseedlingselection

forplantingouttofieldaremoreeasilyaccomplished.However, in the Caribbean, a polybag nursery can be quite expensive (cost of media, bags,labour,transportofbagswithseedlings).

Usingthistypeofnursery,polybags,preferablyblack,UVresistantfordurabilityandmeasuring40 - 45 cmwidewith 8 - 10 holes at bottom and sides are half-filledwith soil and compostmixedata50:50ratio. Decomposedsawdust,corncobs,ricehullandotherorganicmaterialscanbeusedsoastoreducetheweightofthehalf-filledpolybagandimprovedrainageandsoilfertility(Santosetal.,1996).

Polybagplantingmethod1Inthismethod,theseednutsareparedatthetoptofacilitateemergenceofthesprout(Plate10).Thenutisthenplacedinthehalf-filledbagintheuprightpositioninthecentreofthebag.Next, thebag is filledwith soilwith the sides slightly pressed to keep thenut firmuntil it isalmostcovered.Asthesoilsettles,itwillcoverupto2/3ofthenut(Santosetal.,1996).

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Plate10.Paredseednutplacedinpolybag(LeftdiagramfromElfick,2016;rightdiagramredrawnfromElfick,2016).Inthismethod,thereisnopre-nurserysincetheseednutsareplaceddirectlyintothepolybagbefore they are germinated. Thegerminated seedlings are laterpickedout from thenurseryonce80%of thenutshavegerminatedorabout5months fromsowing,whichever isearlier,andthenlaidoutinthenurseryasshowninPlate12.

Polybagplantingmethod2Inthismethod,thenutsaresowninapre-nurserybedasexplainedinSection1.4andwhenthesproutsare5 -6 cm long (about4monthsafter sowing),eachseedling is thenplaced in thehalf-filledpolybagwiththesproutinanuprightpositioninthecentreofthebag(Santosetal.,1996;Thomas,2007).Next,thebagisfilledwithsoilwiththesidesslightlypressedtokeepthenutfirmuntilitisalmostcovered(Plate11).

Inbothmethods, thesizeofapolybagnurserycouldbe3mx6mwithabout1.5mspacesbetweenplots.Eachplotwilleasilyaccommodateabout115seedlings.

Plate11.Earlystepsofcoconutpolybagnursery(Photocredits:TraineeAgriculturalistinMalaysia,2013;CoconutDevelopmentBoard,2013).

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At5-6monthsaftersowing,thepolybaggedseedlingsarelaidoutinalargerpolybagnurseryasshowninPlate12(Nos.1and2).Equalsettingoftheseedlingsatoptimumdistanceallowsthemmorespacetogrowanddeveloprapidly.Thetechniquefollowsatriangularsystemwithequalspacingof60cm.The polybagged seedlings are set in the same order as they germinated with the earliestgerminatingseedlingsbeingplacedinthefirstrowintheeasternsideofthearea.Thelastonesto germinate are placed in the western section of the area. This practice reduces thecompetition for sunlight from among the earliest and latest germinating seedlings. Mostimportantly, selectionof vigorous seedlings is facilitated and since the first pricked seedlingsareplacedinrows,cullingorjudgingbyageiseasilyaccomplished(TNAU,2014).

Plate12.Layingoutofpolybags(Diagramandphotocredits:Santosetal.,1996;TraineeAgriculturistinMalaysia,2013;CoconutDevelopmentBoard,2013;Elfick,2016).1.8.1Maintenanceofpolybagnursery Thesamepracticesofwatering,weedingandinspectionforpestanddiseaseincidenceusedinprenurseryandfieldplotnurseryproductionofseedlingsarerecommended.Apply30gperbagpermonthof granular fertiliser (mix 1 unit urea + 2 units TSP + 2 units KCl + 1 unitMgSO₄)directlytothesoilmix,inaringaroundtheseednut(Ramkhelawan,2013).Afterwards,thesoilis lightly cultivated to promote faster dissolution and absorption of fertiliser. Topping up thesurfaceofthesoilmixwithcoircanpreventweedgrowthandreduceevapotranspiration(Plate12(No.3).

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1.8.2TransplantingfrompolybagstothefieldLeaf splitting (differentiation) occurs 4 - 5 months after polybagging, indicating that theseedlings are ready for field planting. Transplanting steps from the polybag to the field areshowninPlate12(No.4).1.9 Recordsandsignageinnurserybeds

Inadditiontokeepingarecordsfile,asignboardshouldbeplacedinfrontofeachnurserybedandshouldprovidethefollowinginformation(Santosetal.,1996;BaylonandRivera,2016):

• Nameofvariety/cultivar.• Datewhennutswereharvested.• Datewhennutswerereceivedinthenursery.• Dateofsowing.• Numberofseedssown.• Seedbednumber.

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ANNEXI-PoornurserypracticesobservedintheCaribbean1. Totallycoveredseednuts(Plate13)

Inthisexample,theseednutswerecompletelycoveredwithsoilanduponexaminationonemonthaftersowing,severalseednutswerefoundinadecomposedstate(inset inPlate13).

Plate13.Exampleofpoorlysownnurserybedswhereinseednutsweretotallycoveredwithsoil.Insetisarottenseednuttakenfromthenurserybedshownintheforefrontonemonthaftersowing.

2. Nosoilcoveronseednuts(Plate14).

Seednutswereplacedinthenurserybedwithnosoilcoverresultinginslowandpoorgermination.Someseednutswerealreadysproutedleadingtonon-uniformseedlingemergenceanddevelopment.

Theseednutsineachplotwerefromdifferentvarieties.Theproperprocedureisthateachplotshouldcontainseednutsfromthesamevarietyandthattheseareclearlyidentifiedinthesinageoftheplot.Someseednutsdidnotappeartobeofgoodquality(oftenshrivelledanddamagedbymites)indicatingthattheywerenotselectedfromqualitymotherpalms.

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Plate14.Seednutsplacedinthe“nurserybed”withnosoilcover.

3. Seedlingsgatheredfromseednutsfallenfrompalmsintheplantation(Plate15).Seednutswereallowedtosproutanddevelopinadrainatthebaseofacoconuttreeintheplantation(Plate15atleft)withnomotherpalmnorseednutselection.Theywereofdifferentagesandsizesandappearedetiolatedandofpoorquality.Obviously,therewasnocareofthedevelopingseedlings.Itwasobservedthatthefarmerhad“harvested”someoftheseandplantedtheminhisfieldresultinginverypoorearlygrowthoftheseedlings(Plate15atright).

Plate15.Seedlingsgrowinginadrainwithintheplantationwithnoselectionofmotherpalmnorseednuts.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY123RFLtd.2016.Coconutseedstockphotosandimages.www.123rf.comBaylon,G.B.andRivera,R.L.2016.Coconutnurseryselectionandmanagement.ZamboangaResearchCenter,PhillippineCoconutAuthority,Dept.ofAgriculture.http://pca.da.gov.phCoconutCultivationBoard.2011.Nurserymanagement,selectingmotherpalmsandseednuts.Battaramulla,SriLanka.www.coconut.gov.lkCoconut Development Board. 2013. Package of practices of coconut. Government of India,Kerala,India.http://coconutboard.nic.in/package.htmCoconutDevelopmentBoard.2014.Germinationstartednurserybeds.www.coconutboard.inCoconutResearch InstituteofSriLanka.2006.Nurserymanagementandseedlingsselection.AdvisoryCircularNo.A2.www.cri.gov.lkDreamstime.2016.Coconutpalmseedlings.www.dreamstime.comElfick,J.2016.Coconuts–coconutproject.CoconProj.www.uq.edu.auFlickriver.2016.Mayanyellowdwarfcoconuts.www.flickriver.comGhose,S.andGopalakrishnan,R.2013.Coconutguide–2013.Coconutdevelopmentboard.Kochi,MinistryofAgriculture,GovernmentofIndia.Harries,H.C.2016.Germinationrateisthesignificantcharacteristicdeterminingcoconutplantdiversity. AOB Plants – the open-access journal for plant sciences.Online ISSN 2041 – 2851.AnnalsofBotanyCompany.OxfordUniversityPress.Indiamart.2016.CoconutseedlingsfromIndia.InterMESHLtd.www.dir.indiamart.comKissanKerala.2016.Coconut(Cocosnucifera).KarshakaInformationSystemsServicesandNetworking,Kerala,India.www.kissankerala.netNagarjuna Group. 2016. Coconut nursery management. Nagarjuna Fertilizers and ChemicalsLtd.,Hyderabad,India.www.ikisan.compinterest.com.2016.www.pinterest.comRamkhelawan,E.2013.Growers’guideforcoconut.MinistryofFoodProduction.CaroniSouthBankRoad,CentralExperimentStation,Centeno,Trinidad.

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Ramkhelawan, E. and C. Paul. 2016. Coconut Production Technology. International TradeCentre,Geneva,Switzerland.Santos,G.A.,Batugal,P.A.,Othman,A.,Baudouin,L.andLabouisse,J.B.1996.Manualonstandardizedresearchtechniquesincoconutbreeding.COGENT-IPGRI.Thomas,G.V.2007.Coconutcultivationpractices.CentralPlantationCropsResearchInstitute(CPCRI),Kerala,India.TNAU.2012.Expertsystemforcoconut.TamilNaduAgriculturalUniversity,AgrictechPortal–ExpertSystem.http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/expert_system/coconut.TNAU.2014.TamilNaduAgritechPortal-Horticulture:-PlantationCrops:-Coconut.www.agritech.tnau.ac.in/horticulture.TraineeAgriculturistinMalaysia.2013.Talkingaboutpassions.http://traineeagriculturist.blogspot.comValleyWines.2016.Stepsfromplantingtoharvesting.ValleyWinesUganda.www.valleywinesuganda.com

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CaribbeanAgriculturalResearchandDevelopmentInstituteP.O.Bag212UniversityoftheWestIndiesSt.AugustineCampusSt.AugustineTrinidadandTobagoTel:1.868.645.1205/8120Fax:1.868.645.1208Email:infocentre@cardi.orgWebsite:www.cardi.orgPSC#HQ/010/16

InternationalTradeCentrePalaisdesNations1211Geneva10SwitzerlandTel:+41-227300111Fax:+41-227334439E-mail:sectors@intracen.orgWebsite:www.intracen.org/sectors