The coconut palm is a versatile plant with a variety of uses. Every part of it is useful to mankind in form or the other it supplies food, drink and shelter and also raw materials for a number of industries. Coconut is frequently used in various ceremonies like wedding, dedication of buildings and sacrificial occasions. Manure dehusked nut possesses three district raw materials. i.e wet meat or kernel(50%), water(17%) and shell (33%) by weight approximately.

The Wet meat or Kernel

The Kernel or endosperm of the matured coconut is an important food in all the coconut growing countries. Apart from being used for culinary purposes, the milk or cream obtained by squeezing the grated kernel goes into preparations of commercial importance.
The chemical composition of fresh coconut meat (percentages)

Meat	Protein	Fat	Carbo Hydrates	Fibre	Mineral Water	CaO	P2O5
36.3	4.5	41.6	13.0	3.6	1.0	0.01	0.24
Fe2O3	.	A I.U.	B I.U.	C I.U.	E I.U.	.	.
Per 100g	.	per 100g	per 100g	per 100g	per 100g	.	.
1.7 g	.	Trace	15	1	0.2	.	.

Coconut water

The liquid endosperm of tender coconuts(seven months old) makes a popular refreshing drink. The tender coconut water is recommended in cases of gastroenteritis, diarrhea and vomiting against dehydration. It is also urinary antiseptic and eliminates poisons through kidneys in case of mineral poisoning. It has a caloric value of 17.4 per 100gm of water. The following is the composition of water of the tender nuts

Water	....	95.5%
Protein	....	0.1%
Fat	....	0.1%
Mineral matter	....	0.4%
Carbohydrates	....	4.0%
Calcium	....	0.02%
Phosphorus	....	0.01%
Iron	....	0.05% mg/100g

Shell

Coconut shell as it is used for antiques, i.e preparation of various attractive articles. It is also used for making activated charcoal. The shell flour of 300 mesh made of coconut shell has a variety of uses in the organic industries.
Apart from the Kernel, coconut water and shell, the trunk of mature palm is used for houses in coconut growing areas and woven into baskets.

Area in India and Andhra Pradesh

India, with 1795.5 thousand hectares under coconut cultivation and 13,967.9 million nuts production with 90,000 hectares and 1231.4 million nuts respectively. The important coconut growing districts in the State are East Godavari, West Godavari, Srikakulam, Chittor, Visakapatnam and Vizianagaram.

Climate

The coconut palm is essentially a tropical crop which grows best in warm humid climate. It does not tolerate extremes of temperature and fails to come up well in places where long dry spell and severe cold conditions prevail. In well-drained soil, a high precipitation of 2000to 3000 mm can be of better advantage. If the precipitation's are comparatively well distributed, even a low rainfall of 1000mm is sufficient for commercial yields.

Season

Planting can be done June-July in upland areas and October-November in low lying and heavy rainfall areas.

Soils

Coastal sandy, loam and alluvial soils of Godavari delta are most suitable. Coconut can also be grown in laterite soils without hard pan up to a depth of 2 meters and red sandyloam soils with a pH ranging from 5.2 to 8.0

Varieties

EAST COAST TALL(ECT)

It is a commercial variety, grown extensively in AndhraPradesh, commonly called 'Desavali' variety. This is a tall variety with fairly shout truck. It is long living, hardy and yields economically for about 75 years. They normally come to bearing in about 6 to 8 years after planting. The average annual yield ranges from 75 to 100 nuts per palm The copra content per nut is 154 g, oil percentage ranges from 62-65 percent.

GANGABONDAM

This is a semi dwarf variety, comes to bearing in about 4 years. The nuts are medium sized and have elliptical shape, with good sweet water content. The mean yield is about 60 nut per palm/year. It is mainly intended for hybridization.

GODAVARI GANGA (EAST COAST TALL X GANGABONDUM)

This is a semi dwarf variety, comes to bearing in about 4 years. The nuts are medium sized and have elliptical shape, with good sweet water content. The mean yield is about 60 nut per palm/year. It is mainly intended for hybridization.

GODAVARI GANGA (EAST COAST TALL X GANGABONDA)

This hybrid was released from ARS, Ambajipeta during 1992 for A.P. It is a cross between East Coast Tall as female parent and Gangabondam as male parent. It comes to bearing within 3 to 4 year. The mean annual yield is 150 nuts /palm/year, The copra content is 150 g with an oil content of 68%.

LACCADIVA ORDIANARY

This type resembles the ordinary tall variety. The average yield under ordinary conditions is about 127 nut/palm/year. The copra content is 155 g and oil content is 72%. This variety is recommended at National level for commercial cultivation as it is very high yielder compared to all other tall varieties grown in the country.

DOUBLE CENTURY

(PHILLIPPINE ORDINARY)

It is a tall cultivar which comes to bearing in 6-8 years after planting with an average yield of 130 nuts per palm/year. The nuts are big in size with 200g of copra having 66 percent oil content. It was released from ARS, Ambajipeta as 'Double Century' in 1993 for cultivation in Andhra Pradesh.

NURSERY

Select seed nuts from high yielding middle aged mother palms giving not less than 100 nuts per year. Collection of seed nuts should be done from 12 months old should be collected. Keep them in shade, arrange them in layers, cover with sand and sprinkle water on the heaps regularly to prevent drying of nuts in storage. Planting of nuts horizontally in the nursery may be done in June or July after the onset of monsoon at a spacing of 30 x 30 cm.

Selection of Seedlings

Select only vigorously growing seedlings characterized by early germination, good girth at the collar, more number of functional leaves and early splitting of leaflets, at the age of about nine to twelve months.

Planting

Use 9-12 months old seedlings for planting, in pits dug to a dimension of 1x1x1 meter and filled with a mixture of topsoil, farmyard manure or compost in equal proportions and 30 to 60 g of 5% carbaryl. Add sand to this mixture if the soil is heavy black clay. Give a spacing of 8 x 8 m for hybrids and tall varieties in the main field. Give protection to newly planted seedlings against grazing by cattle and provide shade in hot weather.

Manure's and Fertilizers

Sow green manure crops like sunhemp or diancha with the onset of rains in June and plough the crops as soon as it comes to flowering. Cattle and sheep penning in winter would also be advantageous.

Apply 1.5 kg urea, 2 kg super phosphate and 2.5 kg muriate of potash per bearing palm, per year, in two equal split doses one in June-July and again in October-November. The second dose can be given even in December - January if irrigation facilities are available. For young plants 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 of this dosage may be given in 1st, 2nd and 3rd years after planting respectively and the full dose from 4th year onwards. This is to be applied between 0.5 to 2.0 meters, after making 2 meter basin around the trunk.

Irrigation

Irrigate the gardens 3 to 4 times through basins during the dry period from January onwards till the monsoon sets in. Depending on the soil conditions the frequency has to be increased. If the summer is severe irrigation should be given through basins, once in 7-10 days.

Control of Button Drop

Prevent button drop by giving 3 to 4 spraying of 1% bordeaux mixture during rainy season. If the drop is severe, spray 60 ppm, 2, 4-D on the spadices at brown stigma stage of buttons. Ensure adequate moisture in the soil throughout the year and prevent prolonged water stagnation during rainy season by providing adequate drainage facilities.

Plant Protection

Name of the Pests/diseases	Symptoms	Control measures
PESTS Black headed caterpillar Opisina arenosella	Damage the leaves by scraping green matter. Caterpillar lives in galleries made of silk and excreta on the lower surface of the leaves. In case of severe attack, whole plantation presents a burnt up appearance from a distance. It results in poor coconut yield.	Nursery: Spray Carbaryl 0.15% 3g/l or 0.05% Monocrotophos 1.4 ml/l of water. If the incidence is mild, release parasites by obtaining from Articultural Research Station, Ambajipeta, Razole, Narsapur or Sompeta. In severely infested gardens, treat the trees by root feeding of Monocrotophos at 10ml + 10ml of water perpalm. Before adoption harvest all mature nuts and no harvest should be made atleast for a month. Root Feeding Techinique:Expose some roots by excavating the soil at the base of the palm (No need to trace out the tip of the root).Select a matured dark brown pencil thick root near the base and cut without damaging the cut end of the root a small (15 x 10 cm) polyethene cover and place in it the required i.e.205 Monocrotophos at 10 ml per palm diluted with an equal quantity of water. Adjust the cover so that the cut end of the root is completely immersed in the solution. The solution will be absorbed by the palm within 24 hours. If it is not absorbed by the palm within this time, change the root on the following day of treatment and arrange as useful with the same solution. The peat will be controlled within 7 to 10 days after treatment.
Red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus	Grubs feed soft tissues in the trunk of 2-10 years old Palms. Exudation of brownish fluid and protruding of chewed fibre can be seen from the holes present on the truck. Causes very severe damage, especially when a large number of grubs bore into the soft growing parts.	Treat the affected palm by root feeding (as above with) Monocrotophos 10ml+ 10ml of water.
Rhynoceros beetle Oryctes rhinoceros	Beetle bore into unopened tender fronds and spathes and throws chewed fibrous mass. This mass is commonly seen in the burrow made by the beetle at crown region and its presence indicates the pest activity. Breeds in manure heaps.	Hook out beetle from the crown and kill it. Fill the hole and leaf axils with 5% carbaryl + sand mixed in equal proportions.
Slug caterpillar Macroplectra nararia	Feeds on the leaves leaving only the mid rid. Occurs occasionally.	Spray 0.15% Carbaryl 3 g/lt of water
Slug caterpillar Macroplectra Nararia	Feeds on the leaves leaving only the mid rib. Occurs occasionally.	Spray 0.155 Carbaryl 3 g/lit of water
Termites Odontotermes obesus	Seedlings are attacked through the nut or at the base of the young shoot. Older palms through trunk to crown. Affected seedlings wither and die.	5% carbaryl dust should be incorporated in to the soil. Cover the germinating nuts with a layer of sand.
Diseases Stem bleeding Ceratocystis paradoxa	Exudation of the brownish black liquid through cracks on the trunk. This fluid turns black as it dries. Tissues below the bleeding patch become decayed. In young palms tissues rot internally and on piercing the stem a yellow fluid rushes out.	Chiesel out the rotten protion. Treat the area with Bordeaux paste or coal tar.
Bud rot Phytophthora Palmivora	The initial symptom is the withering of spindle leaf. The leaf later dries up and droops down. If the leave is pulled out, it comes out easily as the base is completely rotten. The rottening proceeds downwards killing the bud which results in the death of the palm.	Clean the rotten and drench the bud and its surrounding portions with 15 Bordeaux mixture. Burn the rotton parts. Spray 1% Bordeaux mixture on the surrounding palms.
Basal Stem Rot(or) Ganoderma wilt Ganoderma lucidum	Initially infects the roots. The first visual symptom is the appearance of oozing of reddish brown fluid from growth cracks at the base of the trunk. The lesions spread linearly and sideways. Mean while the lower whorls of leaves start drooping and dry prematurely. As the lesions spread towards the crown, leaves dry up and ultimately the whole crown dries up and the tree dies	Cut and remove all dead roots and a few surrounding healthy roots. Drench the cut ends of roots with a mixture of 1.5g of Aureofungin. Sol+1 g Copper sulphate in 5 lt of water and cover the root system after a white. Repeat the treatment after a while. Repeat the treatment after 15days. Also treat healthy palms in the vicinity as a preventive measure.

Intercroping

Grow inter and mixed crops like banana, turmeric, elephant footyam, colocasia, and other vegitables etc., in the inter spaces of young gardens up to 7 to 8 years of age and Pepper, Pineapple, Cocoa and other tree spices, in the old gardens of over 20 years age.

CROPPING SYSTEMS

Coconut seedlings are planted 8m apart and hence the wider space available in between offers opportunity for additional income through raising other crops. Diversified multi-species of crops are grown to generate ample cash, food, fruit, fodder, fuel etc. Annuals or seasonal crops when grown in the inter spaces of coconut palm, it is called as inter-cropping. When inter crops and mixed crops are raised in combination, it is termed as multi-storeyed cropping.

The common intercrop grown during pre-bearing(up to 4 years) period of the palms are groundnut, pulses, vegetables. In older plantations, mostly root and stemtuber crops such as elephant foot yam, cassava, colocasia, sweet potato, ginger and tumeric. Banana, pineapple and cocoa could be successfully raised as mixed crops in age coconut garden. A multi-storeyed crop combination with Banana, Cocoa, Tutmeric and Elephant foot yarm appears promising under AndhraPradesh conditions. A mixed farming involving coconut-fodder-live stok in order to integrate animal in the plantation can also be practised to suit the needs of small farmer. Similarly, fish ponding also can be taken up in coconut gardens.

Harvesting

Harvesting is normally done at 30 days intervals during summer and 45 days intervals during rainy season . In some parts of the state harvesting is done three times a year. Harvesting is usually done by experienced climbers who climb the palms with the help of a rope-ring round the feet or ankles. Nutsare harvested by cutting down after examination for maturity. In Srilanka harvesting is done from the ground with a knife, tied to a bamboo pole. In Malaysia and Thailand trained monkeys are used for harvesting or nuts.

Storage of nuts

After the harvest the nuts are to be stored in heaps under shade for few days. Storing of nuts in heaps facilitates husking easier, shelling cleaner, obtaining higher out put of superior quality copra.

Post - harvest Technology

Coconuts are popularly traded as the dried nuts which are dehusked and marketed as whole nuts or as copra after removing the shell. The nuts to be made into two halves by cutting across, water drained off and spread the cups on the floor for sun-drying. After the moisture content of the endosperm comes down to 5-6 % the endosperm is scooped out of the shell and sent to market. In unfavourable weather conditions, smoke drying and klin drying is also being practiced.