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
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
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
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)
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)
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
Gliricidia – the 4th plantation crop in Sri Lanka
Uses
Green Manure Fuel Wood
35 kw Gassifier 35 CFL Bulbs + B/W TV
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)
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
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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